N830MH

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...380-superjumbo

What do you think of this?

Let the speculation begin!

747FC

Interesting. Can't imagine that investors will be gaga over a 380 fleet...

azj

I suspect something has been taken out of context here. An A380 just makes zero sense for HAL.

Hawaiian717

My guess is that Airbus is shopping around the early A380 deliveries that are being returned as their leases end and offering some good deals. HAL management is doing their due diligence to see if the plane makes any sense for them, but I imagine nothing will come of it. Having a different type just to serve LAX and TYO makes little sense, especially when multiple frequencies timed at different parts of the day (at least to LAX, not sure about timing and slots for TYO) has advantages over fewer frequencies with a bigger plane. If a bigger plane really made sense for HAL, I'd think they'd have converted the A350-800 orders to the A350-900 when Airbus was trying to drop that model, rather than switching to the A330-800neo.

gradsflyer

What I actually understand less out of these stories is Dunkerley indicating that HA is considering the upcoming A330 neos as their ultra-long haul option, possibly to Europe. Don't the A350s actually have more range?

Edit: Now I understand from reading further what I missed before. Apparently they've swapped the order for A350-800s for A330neos. If you're trying to add long hauls, this swap still doesn't really make much sense though. I can't imagine the neos will have that much more range than the standard models.

azj

HA was sort of forced into the A330-800neo, as their preferred A350 is not being built. When the order was swapped, much was still to be determined regarding the 330neo. We're reaching the point where HA has to be seriously investigating the plane and determining how/if it fits into the future needs of the airline. Some suggestions are that the A330neo will have about a 400nm range increase beyond the CEO A330-200s already in the fleet. This is the rub... will it meet HALs needs? Or will they need to change their game plan?

toadman

Just go to Boeing, and tell them you want a sweetheart deal on some 747-800's and call it good.

747FC

Upper deck J, here we come!

HNLbasedFlyer

They could have swapped to the longer range - more capacity A350 that was being built.

Platy

The frequency argument falls over for Japan flights: HA currently runs just one daily flight between HNL and NRT and return.

Perhaps some flights between LAX and HNL could be consolidated (e.g. the 0745 and 1000 LAX-HNL)...perhaps also HA can cost effectively drop one or two other destinations and consolidate via LAX (per AA dropping SFO-HNL in favour of just LAX-HNL and dropping ORD-HNL in favour of routing via DFW and LAX)...?

Perhaps the HNL-BNE and HNL-SYD flights can be consolidated (???)....these markets are leisure focused anyway.

Cost issues aside (none of us have the figures to judge), using A380s would give HA a unique differentiator in supplying the Hawaiian market.

747FC

Just about everyone else has the figures:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/richarda.../#1c153c3961b6

http://www.flyertalk.com/articles/un...-the-a380.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/emira...cial-scam.html

azj

Yes, but at the time they said the -900 was too big. Today, the economics and reality of the airplane may be different and I think we might be seeing the beginning of HAL exploring all options as the reality of the 330neo is gaining steam. This is exactly why the argument for larger a/c like the 380 is unrealistic. It further proves the articles written and the hysteria on some blogs are very much hype over one comment likely taken out of context. They may explore the 380 in a roundabout way to confirm what seems obvious as logic and the numbers don't seem to add up.

Platy

I thought this thread was about the topic of HA taking up A380s?

We don't have the numbers on that!

As for the "A380 is dead" propaganda from US airlines and media please consider the following:

HA itself uses a fleet of 18 no-longer-in-production 717s with two now being added to make a fleet of 20.

QF's partner Cobham is keen to access more for its own fleet servicing QantasLink routes in Australia according to a local friend who is a QF 717 pilot.


Production of the 717 ceased 10 years ago! - Boeing didn't see a market for the 717 upon the "merger" with McDonnell Douglas.

Forgive me if I don't buy into the anti-Middle Eastern airline and anti-non US made aircraft rants and misinformation.

The US government has been propping up its aviation industry for decades and the hypocrisy of the US airline executive is a joke when crying foul play!

It would indeed be a delicious outcome to see HA adopt the A380.

747FC

Sorry that my post resulted in some miscommunication. This thread is about HA's potential adoption of the 380, an aircraft owners find difficult to run profitably. The links I provided discuss just that topic.

Platy

Yes, I realise there is a cloud over the A380 for various reasons, but are we at least agreed that the good folk at HA will look at the figures in somewhat more detail than a couple of Bloomberg articles!? And that we are not party to such detail? Some A380s are becoming available and may be ensnared at a bargain price. Jet fuel is very cheap and may be hedged. HNL-Japan is a high volume route. Etc.

(PS At least one of the cited articles was written in 2014 before the collapse in the cost of jet fuel).

(FWIW I'd rather fly on a Boeing than an Airbus, with the exception of the A380 which I personally find to be the most passenger friendly aircraft in the skies. That opinion may shift once I have been on an A350.).