A380 - Master Thread

[flyguy]

SIA could have use this downturn and refit and reconfigure at least 2 A380s to the current version 3 standard, as these A380s are all grounded since last april and it takes about 6 months to refit one aircraft.

[9V-SPL]

9V-SKL is out on air-test as SQ8898.

[flyguy]

SIA's replacement order for the second 5 A380s was done before the Covid19 situation. But since covid19, many airlines operating the A380s have found the 4 engine aircraft to be heavy and inefficient to use and considering the less than 500 passengers they carry. Airlines realised that they can hardly make profit unless the A380 has a 90% load factor. Therefore the realisation that 2 engined widebody especially the newer 787s and A350s can be more efficient to operate and cost considerably less maintenance cost than to fly a A380. For example an airline can fly 2 A350s to a same destination as a A380 and it will be even costs less than one A380. Airlines now have began to change and even after covid, it will take another 2-3 years to return to post covid flights.
Hence now we see even other airlines like Lufthansa, Qatar, Air France are retiring their A380s with some of these planes even less than 10 years old. Even Emirates have retired some of the A380s and mothballed some for the next few years.

[Jumbojet Lover]

Looking like the end for A380s.

It really didn't make sense for them to replace their first 5 A380s with newer planes. They must have known the economics doesn't work for this aircraft after operating them for 10 yrs. I wonder why they got pressurred to maintain the fleet

What makes you say that? The decision made sense for SQ, at least when it was made, as the A380s had a role to play in the fleet and SQ was able to utilise them. SQ had been operating the aircraft for a few years before the replacement order. If the economics doesn't work for them, as you suggest, SQ would not have placed the order, and just reduced the fleet/order as Air France, Qantas and Lufthansa had done pre-COVID-19. In the early 2000s, SQ quickly replaced and exited the A340-300s because the economics didn't compare to the Boeing 777s, so SQ isn't shy about letting go of aircraft that doesn't make sense for them.

In addition, SQ's first 5 A380s were older builds early in the production line and not as efficient in the latest ones. Almost always there are performance improvements made to later builds in aircraft production which make them more efficient to operate.

[a340-313x]

I wonder if that's the reason they are looking to write down the cost of the fleet (in the process absorbing a gigantic loss once-off) so they can park them for a couple of years until traffic recovers (a la QF).

Given SQ's business model, there will be markets where the aircraft can probably be profitably operated but with the situation at the moment, it may not be for a couple of years yet so they will need to somehow get through this period. Also, they may not need all 19 of them so I am guessing we can expect some retirements.

[reddevil0728]

Looking like the end for A380s.

It really didn't make sense for them to replace their first 5 A380s with newer planes. They must have known the economics doesn't work for this aircraft after operating them for 10 yrs. I wonder why they got pressurred to maintain the fleet

probably sunk cost. if not they have to write-off the entire investment

[nocturne]

Looking like the end for A380s.

It really didn't make sense for them to replace their first 5 A380s with newer planes. They must have known the economics doesn't work for this aircraft after operating them for 10 yrs. I wonder why they got pressurred to maintain the fleet

[9V-SPL]

9V-SKS went out for an air-test earlier today as SQ8898.

[flyguy]

It does look like the A380s as a whole in the world's airline fleet are diminishing with many other major carriers retiring their A380s much earlier than expected like that of Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates, even Qatar etc. SIA will very likely retires its older 4 A380s which have wing issues anyway or more, and don't see SIA refitting the rest of its A380s to its ver 3 layout. SQ have 8 A380s which are over 10 years old.

[alian]

Common sense

I kinda concur. IATA did say airline industry won’t recover till 2024.

Even if vaccine is out by early next for commercial it’ll take years to vaccinate the world and there will be resistance and politic etc so ability fly big jumbos would be a talk order.

a) number of pax on a plane
b) countries permitting travel in and out
c) businesses willing to pay for travel
d) people’s budget. Short n medium haul I believe will be strong in recovery but long and ultra long and premium is going to be tricky.

Lots of factors in play and it’s not kind to an A380.

I love the A380 but love sometimes just ain’t enough.

[FlyBoy]

What is this speculation based on?

Common sense

[FN-GM]

Be lucky to see the newer A380s fly again. The original batch they won't fly again

SQ has more than enough A350s to cover demand for many years

You probably won't see an A380 fky again until a vaccine is around for 6 months or more. Maybe this time next year if we are lucky

What is this speculation based on?

[FlyBoy]

Be lucky to see the newer A380s fly again. The original batch they won't fly again

SQ has more than enough A350s to cover demand for many years

You probably won't see an A380 fky again until a vaccine is around for 6 months or more. Maybe this time next year if we are lucky

[Avenger777]

https://www.flightglobal.com/sia-a38...139532.article

I don’t think SQ will completely get rid of the A380. If anything I think they’ll trim the fleet size.

[flyguy]

Looks like SIA's fleet of A380s will not be flying pax until early next year in 2021. That's not good for the pilots of A380s as they would not have been flying for 8 to 10 months or even more.