Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

A380 - Master Thread

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Originally posted by ell3 View Post
    Based on recent reports, nothing suggests they’re cutting back on their original plan of refitting all of SKF-SKT.
    In reality, progress has been terrible...3 years after the initial announcement only SKS has rolled out refitted. SKF-SKI will easily be at least 13+yrs old by the time their $30mil refit has been done. Hmmmmm.

    Are any of the other -A380s leases btw?
    9V-SKT has also been refitted.
    Singapore Airlines - A great way to fly...

    Comment


    • All eyes need to be on the return of 9V-SKN which last flew mid-October and in a week will reach the 5 month mark. If they can’t manage 4 planes per year, the program would easily head into 2023 for all to be refitted. SKP has been out for a month now, although I’m reticent to assume it’s a refit as A380s have been known to get a month of maintenance and then return in the past.

      What I would be certain of is that SKL, SKM, SKQ & SKR will be the next to follow as this variant has never been as versatile in its application to many routes and by now with the saga of SKT taking so long, they must have plenty of knowledge of what needs to be done to convert the old v2 layout. The desire to eliminate having three cabin layouts as soon as possible would also be a factor.

      The question in my mind though, is whether refitting the older cabin layout will take some further working out. It looks simple enough on a seat map with toilets on v1 where galleys are on v2, but there’s undoubtedly more to it than that, unless it is a case of gut everything and start again in which case it could explain why they are taking so long.
      Last edited by SQ228; 29 March 2020, 09:40 AM. Reason: Typo that caused incorrect plane identification

      Comment


      • https://www.executivetraveller.com/n...ngapore-london

        The 2nd airline to mothball A380 operations.

        Comment


        • Think the A380s early retirement looks more apparent now as with this virus we see now and even Korean Air have grunded all its A380s, together with Lufthansa and even Qantas using only 2 of its A380s only and with much earlier announcement of Air France retiring its A380s even before this Covid19. It seems like the A380 is just too big and mainly because of its 4 engines and less efficient than newer twins. Emirates too have retired a few of its 9 to 11 year old A380s and will have to see what Emirates will do with its A380s as it have the most aircraft.
          Last edited by flyguy; 12 March 2020, 06:24 PM.

          Comment


          • Originally posted by flyguy View Post
            Think the A380s early retirement looks more apparent now as with this virus we see now and even Korean Air have grunded all its A380s, together with Lufthansa and even Qantas using only 2 of its A380s only and with much earlier announcement of Air France retiring its A380s even before this Covid19. It seems like the A380 is just too big and mainly because of its 4 engines and less efficient than newer twins. Emirates too have retired a few of its 9 to 11 year old A380s and will have to see what Emirates will do with its A380s as it have the most aircraft.
            Fleet management in airlines is a long term strategic plan. I can't see how a relatively short term problem such as this virus would impact long term fleet plans.

            Comment


            • Originally posted by SQ228 View Post
              All eyes need to be on the return of 9V-SKP which last flew mid-October and in a week will reach the 5 month mark.
              She’s back on service, do we know if she’s been refitted to V3?

              Comment


              • Originally posted by Spaniard View Post
                She’s back on service, do we know if she’s been refitted to V3?
                There was a typo in my post that made it very incorrect!!

                I had SKP listed twice. The incorrect listing you quoted was meant to have read SKN. My apologies!

                So now it is clear- SKP definitely wasn't undergoing a refit if it can be back in the skies 6 weeks after its last flight and all the others are taking at least 6 months it seems. It must still be a ver. 2 layout.
                Last edited by SQ228; 29 March 2020, 09:45 AM. Reason: My previous post had an error

                Comment


                • Originally posted by SQ228 View Post
                  There was a typo in my post that made it very incorrect!!

                  I had SKP listed twice. The incorrect listing you quoted was meant to have read SKN. My apologies!

                  So now it is clear- SKP definitely wasn't undergoing a refit if it can be back in the skies 6 weeks after its last flight and all the others are taking at least 6 months it seems. It must still be a ver. 2 layout.
                  No worries at all! I used to keep a note with a log of last flights but somehow had deleted it so didn’t have a chance to double check. We’ll have to keep our hopes and eyes on SKN.

                  On a related note, with the current situation it would be interesting to see if there is a change in strategy, perhaps accelerating refits of the later frames and planning retirement of the earlier ones, preparing for an eventual and hopefully quick recovery in demand. Would be a good move to be in the best possible shape!

                  Hope you are all staying safe 💪🏻

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by SQ228 View Post
                    There was a typo in my post that made it very incorrect!!

                    I had SKP listed twice. The incorrect listing you quoted was meant to have read SKN. My apologies!

                    So now it is clear- SKP definitely wasn't undergoing a refit if it can be back in the skies 6 weeks after its last flight and all the others are taking at least 6 months it seems. It must still be a ver. 2 layout.
                    Heh buddy when I first read your original post I must have either just skimped through it or didn't give it much thought... SKP couldn't have last been flown in mid Oct, for we flew back on it SIN-AKL on SQ285 (it was a last minuted sub to V2) at the end of Nov...

                    Anyway, with the current situation lets hope that these birds won't stay on the ground for too long and will be back in the air sooner rather than later, although personally I do think it might be the last of the fleet to get back in the air unfortunately...
                    Last edited by wlgspotter; 30 March 2020, 07:00 AM.

                    Comment


                    • All Cabin Refits have been stop. SIA have stopped all Heavy Maintenance Check at the moment. Rumour is that this might be end of the fleet in SQ. A few aircraft have been parked at the military base in Changi for short term storage.

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by banx007 View Post
                        All Cabin Refits have been stop. SIA have stopped all Heavy Maintenance Check at the moment. Rumour is that this might be end of the fleet in SQ. A few aircraft have been parked at the military base in Changi for short term storage.
                        What do you mean by “end of the fleet in SQ”?

                        Comment


                        • If some of the A380s are to be retired, it should be the earlier 4 A380s as they do have AD directives to check the wings due to cracking. But in general, other airlines have started or planned to retire their A380s even before this COVID19, like Air France and Lufthansa and even Emirates have retired a few. And after this Covid19 incident, it will take some time for airlines to recover and regain to their preious schedules. But this will take some months to achieve. And its very likely the A380s with airlines will be the last to take to the skies and few airlines may even consider retiring them early due to higher costs of operation.

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by SQ228 View Post
                            all the others are taking at least 6 months it seems.
                            The others being refitted were involved in an R&D project that is to streamline the refit process so thats why they took a considerable amount of time.

                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=251WGe1MiLk

                            Originally posted by banx007 View Post
                            SIA have stopped all Heavy Maintenance Check at the moment.
                            It isn't SQ who are refitting them they have contracted it out to Airbus and are most probably bound to that contract.

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by banx007 View Post
                              All Cabin Refits have been stop. SIA have stopped all Heavy Maintenance Check at the moment. Rumour is that this might be end of the fleet in SQ. A few aircraft have been parked at the military base in Changi for short term storage.
                              If that is the case, then SQ would have only 3 refitted A380s and together with the 5 new A380s, there will be only 8 ver 3 A380s.

                              Comment


                              • SQ sending 4 A380s to Alice Springs on Saturday.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X