airsurfer

All major airlines, even the allied AF have A380 or at least on order. And it is now simple (?) due to the alliance with AF that KL repaints one or more AF 380s into blue KLM livery.
And AMS is now 380 compatible due to the EK 147/8 daily service which compete now with KLM using this large aircraft where KLM uses 'only' B744.
With other new planes (DC8 in 1960, 747 in 1969, DC10 in 1973, B787 in 2011, 777 also one of the first) they were one of the first.
Some destinations (JFK, LAX (?) , SIN) can be an A380 destination and now others (LH, BA, AF) fly 380.

Your ideas ?

KLflyerRalph

No demand. It would be a 2-class aircraft that, I think, would be far too difficult to fill. Also, I don't think there are enough routes which KL could execute a profitable flight on.

Zembla

Thats right. They would never fill it except on 2 routes or so perhaps. Just having 2 or 3 of them wouldnt be economically viable.

johan rebel

No, it would not be simple, as it isn't just a matter of repainting the aircraft. The AF cabin configuration is not compatible with the KL product. KL does not offer F, for example.

Johan

Verboten

Maybe the discussion should continue as: on which routes does KLM have demand high enough for a 380?

The OP mentioned JFK, LAX and SIN but my impression is that the SIN load factor is not very high, probably even lower than HKG.

KLflyerRalph

And SIN continues to DPS.

florin

Hmmm... how about AMS-DUS then?

Maybe some of the routes that are currently operated with 744s could be operated with an A380.

KL is very good at the fleet utilization game. I think such a large bird would throw things off for them.

ajs123

I guess the idea that supply of seats is going to create demand for them has not crossed their minds

But bit more seriously, as for putting an A380 to LAX - they have just one flight on four days and two on Sat, Sun, and Thu. Both KL601 is typically on 747 and the KL603 on an MD11. Hence on days of both flight they could easily fill an A380. On the remaining days the costeffectiveness of seats on A380s could help attract paxs, but KL would need two A380s to guarantee daily service.

Perhaps they could start flying LAX-SYD with a DL code share, I believe those flights are pretty packed (though there is already a code share between DL and Virgin Australia. I can imagine that a Souther Cross route to Australia could be bearable!

irishguy28

KL do not, and as far as I know could never hope to, gain traffic rights on a US-Australia route under the terms of the current US-Australia air services agreement (which presumably limits such routes to US or Australian carriers. Emirates have seemingly wished to perform such a route for some time now - and finally can offer such a flight [as a codeshare operated by Qantas!]).

They may even face regulatory hurdles in restoring service to Australia via Asia, should they ever decide to restart that route (which I think also has zero chance of happening).

Zembla

Yes, and arguably they could do something similar to JFK. But, having only a few A380's would not be good for efficient fleet utilization, it would result in hardly any flexibillity, or one of them standing around as a backup doing nothing most of the time.

Hardly any flexibillity brings many risks of last minute change to another aircraft type which would piss off many people, or cascading delays through the A380 fleet pissing off even more. Having a backup A380 standing around most of the time would be bloody expensive.

YVR Cockroach

SQ wants/wanted this route authority too but hasn't been able to persuade Australia.

BearX220

9 operators, 18 total orderers, do not constitute "all major airlines." It's a very limited-purpose aircraft, of no strategic use to most airlines or on most routes. Not many carriers have such intense global hub-to-hub operations.

ajs123

18 orders? That seems like a typo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Airbus_A380_orders_and_deliveries
20 airlines, 257 orders and 82 aircrafts delivered.

But more to the topic of this thread - JFK, LAX have been discussed, what other routes do have a similar potential?

johan rebel

I think BearX220 meant that 18 airlines/lessors have ordered the aircraft, and that nine airlines are currently operating the type.

Johan

irishguy28

It is a typo - but you added another!