Airbus A380
Paris (Dow Jones) – Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd. (003490.SE) flew to Airbus’s rescue Monday, lending one of its A380 superjumbos for displays at this years Paris Air Show after the European commercial aircraft maker’s own plane collided with a building.
A spokesman for Airbus said the A380 would fly at Le Bourget Monday and Tuesday and that it was using one of Korean’s aircraft that had been on static display at the show.
Airbus Sunday was forced to pull its own aircraft out of planned displays as a result of the mishap. Its own double-decker aircraft sat idle with its right wing-tip covered, hiding the damage. “During ground maneuvers with the Airbus A380 flight test aircraft MSN 004, the aircraft’s right hand wing-tip touched a structure near the taxiway” – Airbus said in a statement Sunday.
A nearby building with the name ‘Embraer’ emblazoned on the side showed signs of the collision, with the corner ripped out one-third of the way down. Embraer is Brazil’s Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA (ERJ, EMVRA3). Airbus is a unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. NV (EADSY).
Earlier this year, an A380 operated by Air France clipped a Bombardier Inc. (BBD.B.T) CRJ-700 regional jet at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport, sending the smaller plan into a spin.
The start of the show has been marred with difficulties. Airbus was forced to pull its military transport carrier A400M out of displays because of an issue it identified during tests with its gearbox some 10 days ago.
- A380.
Four years ago, when the Airbus A380 first flew, the skepticism was overwhelming because the plane was big, the delays were long and the demand seemed limited.
Today, the A380 story is a far different story, one of new service to popular routes. This month, Air France began Paris-Washington Dulles service, and Lufthansa began Frankfurt-Miami service.
It is not just major international gateways that have A380 service. Air France also flies the plane between Paris and Montreal, while Emirates flies it from Dubai to Manchester, England. “We’ve been surprised by the number of places it’s gone” – said Airbus spokesman Clay McConnell. “It’s not just flying to London Heathrow.”
Still, the route selection is a bit puzzling. Lufthansa, a United (UAL_) partner, flies into Miami, an American (AMR_) hub. Air France, a Delta (DAL_) partner, flies into Dulles, a United hub.
Aviation consultant Robert Mann said the European carriers sought out markets where they do not require more than a single daily frequency. “At JFK, you need frequencies” to meet business travelers’ schedule demands – he said. Additionally, connecting with a partner in the partner’s hub could interfere with a carefully calibrated operation that feeds appropriately-sized aircraft at several times during the day.
Nevertheless, as the Paris Air Show opens, the A380 “continues to be the belle of the ball” – McConnell said.
At least one carrier, Hong Kong Airlines, is expected to announce an A380 order. Airbus currently has 234 A380s on order and has delivered 49. More than 20 deliveries are expected this year.
Late in 2007, Singapore Airlines became the first airline to fly the A380. It currently has a dozen of them, operating from Singapore to Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Zurich, Paris, London and, as of July 1, Los Angeles. Singapore originally ordered 19 aircraft, and awaits its remaining seven; it also has options for additional planes.
Le Bourget, France – Airbus’ star jet has been grounded after clipping a wing on a taxiway structure, the latest in an embarrassing string of incidents for the European jet maker at the aviation industry’s premier showcase.
The A380 super jumbo suffered damage to its wing tip Sunday after the slow-speed collision with a building at the Le Bourget airport, where the air show is taking place. The aircraft had been scheduled for demonstration flights during the show but these have now been cancelled – EADS spokesman Alexander Reinhardt said.
The Airbus A400M military transport plane also had to cancel a demonstration flight because of what the manufacturer described as a minor gearbox problem, although the aircraft will still make a flyover during President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to the show on Monday – Reinhardt said.