Airbus A380 Woes Continue

[Ash W]

Originally Posted by Saj_A

So a program that has more than doubled in cost to over $25bn and still growing due to cost overruns and design changes, coupled with the inability to price the airplane profitably is not a financial disaster?



And if its about credentials/connections - I never boasted about mine or impugned yours, stick to the topic instead.

And in 15 years time, the A380 will be a 25 year old dinosaur with about as much sales/profit success as the ageing 767. Over half the A380 customers and backlog continue to be deferred, adding yet more production, planning, staff and supplier costs. But of course, they don't matter from a financial perspective, do they?

But I digress...

Saj, here is an article suggestion. How about a write up of the 747-8, which using your logic is, even before first delivery a 41 year old dinosaur which is struggling for sales and costing Boeing a lot of money.

[Saj_A]

Read it again - I said debacle. I made no reference to peope at Airbus etc. Its completely plausible we have different lines of communications/sources but I did not claim you were not informed. Nice try plugging words in on my behalf though, I'll give you that.

Come back to me when the A380 makes Airbus some profit

[Andrew M]

Originally Posted by Andrew McLaughlin

I (and they) agree it's a financial drain, but with 10-15 years of production ahead of it, it's way too early to be calling the A380 a financial disaster!

So who else is actually going to buy the other 200-300 that is needed to break even ?

10-15 years of sales.... another 200-300 A380 sales.....

Highly doubtful.

Of more concern will be the price of oil at that time me thinks!

[Mike W]

Originally Posted by Andrew McLaughlin

Nah, bugger it - just last week I spoke with Tom Enders, Tom Williams, John Leahy and Richard Carcaillet about just this subject and others,

And they're hardly going to admit the 3fatty is a lemon now are they?

I'll qualify this by referring the plane as a financial lemon for Airbus, EADS, their European Government benefactors, et al as opposed to the craft itself