Jaunted - Tag: airbus

Airline Bankruptcy: Airbus Avoiding Cash-Strapped Carriers

pbb — 2008-07-14T11:30:16-05:00

Airbus, whose jets are super-popular among the start-up airline set, has put together a list of companies that may not have the money to afford planes. Probably a good idea in the wake of the Skybus fiasco, which left dozens of A319s undelivered.

Among the airlines on the watch list are some Indian carriers, as well as some in the United States. Officials at Airbus parent EADS weren't more specific about which carriers they're following. The CEO, while concerned, is hoping his company can pull through:

The [order] cancellations have been very limited in the past six months. For the future, we have to be vigilant, but I don't want to panic.

What might make an aircraft manufacturer worried, especially when its competition can't seem to finish the 787? How 'bout the new world of Chinese aviation?

Related Stories:
· Airbus Cautious of Struggling Carriers [FT]
· Airbus coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: B a m s h a d]

Sarkozy Gets a Used "Air Force Un"

Hunter Walker — 2008-06-12T13:45:01-05:00

French President Nicolas Sarkozy had an embarrassing plane related mishap last year, and now, he's getting a new ride--sort of. France is upgrading its thirty year-old Presidential fleet, but according to the newspaper Liberation, Sarko's new plane, an Airbus A330, will be bought used.

Sarkozy might be ashamed flying around in a pre-owned plane, but it'll definitely be better than his old jet. Up until now, Sarkozy's been doing his traveling in a short-haul Airbus A319.

On his first official trip to China last year, Sarkozy's Airbus had to stop for refueling in Siberia while journalists covering his voyage enjoyed a non-stop journey. Quel dommage!

Related Stories:
· France Upgrades Presidential Aircraft [NYT]
· Nicolas Sarkozy coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of A330: caribb]

Cranky Flier Falls for the Airbus A380

laurenuta — 2007-12-03T14:00:01-05:00

The thought of a two-hour "flightseeing" trip over southern California doesn't seem too pleasant: Santa Ana and Malibu wildfires and struggling to squint through LA's layer cake-like layers of pollution. But when it's a trip taken on the Airbus A380, even a gray view might be enjoyable.

Blogger CrankyFlier certainly thought so and posted a review of his recent trip on the super-jumbo. Offered to 150 people, the trip--which was reportedly "true dork bliss"--began at LAX, looped around southern California, went out over the Pacific and returned to LA. The planes, designed for a quieter, greener and more-comfortable experience, lived up to expectations, according to CF.

The upstairs cabin is a more humane 2-4-2 in coach. The slope in the walls is noticeable, and like on the 747's upper deck, there is a nice little compartment between the window seat and the window...That's a great feature, and I think it's clear that unless you're traveling in a group of three, upper deck seating if the way to go, if you have the choice.

Other bonus features include a super-sized lavatory on the lower level, a sizable crew cabin and, as CF notes, a "massive, heaving wing." Are we jealous that he got the tour? Uh, that'd be a 380-sized yes.

Related Stories:
· Trip Report: Flying on the A380 [The Cranky Flier]
· Airbus coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: The Cranky Flier]

Where To Spot the Airbus A380

pbb — 2007-11-14T16:45:02-05:00

Airbus is tooling around North America in another of its publicity-loving A380s. And everyone from die-hard plane-spotter to curious soccer dad is out to catch a glimpse of the bird.

After flying into MCO--an airport that won't likely see another A380 anytime soon--the super-jumbo is headed back to France after a stop in Montreal. But don't despair, Minnesota! Your date with the Airbus starts the night of October 26 and goes until the next morning. Just remember: No fooling around!

Related Stories:
· Airbus A380 Visits Orlando [Orlando Sentinel]
· Plane-spotters Jetstruck as Big Bird Flies into Town [The Gazette]
· World's Largest Passenger Jet Lands in Montreal [CTV]
· Airbus to Show Off Jet at MSP [Pioneer Press]
· A380 coverage [Jaunted]

Adventures of Link: Countdown to the A380

pbb — 2007-10-11T17:00:01-05:00

We should all fit on board, right?

Singapore Airlines' first flight of the superjumbo A380 takes off in a little over two weeks, and Airbus must be chilling the champagne. After years of delays, controversy and throwing money down what seemed to be a bottomless pit, the aerospace company can now focus on selling these planes rather than building them.

In the meantime, Boeing is still struggling to get its 787 off the ground. After taking more than 800 orders, the firm has pushed the first deliveries back to late 2008. That said, airlines are still on board to use Boeing's new, high-tech jet, which has a range of over 10,000 miles and, perhaps more importantly, gets great gas mileage.

Related Stories:
· The Giant on the Runway [Economist]
· Boeing Delays Dreamliner [WSJ]
· Delta Adding New Seats and TVs to its Transcons [Official Site]
· iPhones Don't Fly with ATA [Consumerist]
· Steve Fossett and his Plane Still Missing [AP, via Google]

[Photo: af.wikipedia.org]

Adventures of Link: The A380 is Almost Upon Us

pbb — 2007-09-05T17:00:01-05:00

The debut of the massive Airbus A380 is less than two months away, and there's been plenty of buzz about the 555-passenger plane that's set to fly from Singapore to Sydney on October 25. (And, yes, Singapore Airlines is auctioning the seats for charity on eBay.)

Besides getting in to scrapes, the plane is at the heart of another pseudo-scandal: Back in July, a mystery buyer picked up one of the jets as a private plane. At the time, all Airbus would say is that the buyer was neither European nor American. Today, Le Figaro says (in French) that the buyer is Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.

· Other News Agencies Jumped on the Story... [Guardian]
· But Abramovich Denies He Bought an A380 [RIAN]
· The eBay Auction is "Exceeding Excpectations"... [news.com.au]
· With Tickets Selling for Six-Figures [USA Today]
· If You Can Wait, China Will Have Plenty A380s in Five Years [Reuters]

Airbus To Ruin Passenger Flights With Cell Phone Service

egw — 2007-06-19T15:17:16-05:00

Oh Airbus, can't you stick to building cartoonishly large airplanes? Instead, the plane-makers, with a nod from the European Aviation Safety Agency, are planning to develop the world's first on-board cell-phone network. The network, designed for phones that use the (common in Europe) GSM standard, will supposedly allow cabin crew to block incoming and outgoing calls for announcements from the flight deck and descriptions of in-flight entertainment.

In totally unrelated news, Miss Manners will head a new commission of ninjas to "displace" people who use cell phones on planes inappropriately.

Could be worse, you could get next to someone podcasting mid-flight. Or, horror of horrors, you have the middle seat next to a podcaster and someone with 1000 anytime minutes to blow.

[Photo of Inconsiderate Cell Phone Man: NYTimes.com]