Aviation: USA sees its first A380 - twice

Was it a coincidence that California, the US state that claims (not entirely truthfully) more "green" credentials than any other hosted the first commercially operated A380 to land in the USA?

Was it deliberate that the USA was warmed up to the idea of an Arab owned A380 in the USA before one landed in New York?

Who knows and, frankly, who cares. What was most important is that the efforts of various US groups including agencies to defeat the A380's arrival in the USA have failed.

When the first Emirates A380 landed in SanFran (pelted with water in an airport equivalent of the tender sprays that the US likes to shower over arriving transatlantic liners - see pic) and then in LA, it was welcomed by the Governor's Office: Delivering a message from California State Govenor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barbara Kaufman, Director of Schwarzenegger’s San Francisco office said, "I applaud all those who have worked hard to make today a reality. This event is not only a momentous occasion for Emirates and for our Golden State, but it is also an historic moment in the history of aviation. My congratulations go to Emirates on your accomplishments and your beautiful A380 as you help mark a new era in technological advancements, environmental consciousness and passenger comforts."

Two weeks later, the demonstrations were over, and Emirates brought the biggest airliner in the skies to the biggest opponent of advanced forms of air travel. After all, it was the USA that denied Concorde the chance to succeed by rejecting it into US airspace - and because US airlines refused to buy it.

It's somewhat surprising that the first Airline to get the A380, Singapore Airlines, which now has half a dozen of the massive planes, doesn't use the A380 on its US runs - even though it has some of the most advanced airliners from both Boeing and and Airbus. Recently, it diverted one of them to the short hop to Beijing for Olympics travel - but the arrival of the A380 there didn't make much of a splash - Beijing had other things on its mind.

The A380 did its New York stint, then moved across country back to LAX and SanFran then home to Dubai.

In doing so, it flew more people more miles for less fuel than any other aircraft can. Although it would be an idle boast to call any aircraft environmentally friendly, the A380's the closest there is. In fact, Emirates' website proudly claims that its aircraft will cross the USA using less fuel per passenger than a Toyota Prius - that'll upset the Californians.

After the inaugural flight, Emirates will put this aircraft - as yet they have only one - on the Dubai - New York run. But not every day. It will go three times per week, and it will not hang about in the USA - the massive plane will be cleaned, reprovisioned and turned around to come back the same day.

As the A380 makes ever bigger splashes, over in Chicago Boeing's 787 is rapidly turning from Dreamliner to, well, underpants liner for those with nightmares.

Whilst California toasted the A380, Azerbaijan Airlines burned its order for one of the three 787s it had ordered. But for Boeing, it's not as bad as that sounds: AA (this one, not the American one) ordered three 787s. Due to delays, it has done a deal with Boeing to cancel one and to take a 767-300ER instead - and has ordered another of those aircraft, too.

So it's more a question of embarrassment than finances for Boeing. But the situation will deteriorate if Boeing can't come up with some aircraft soon. It has 900 orders from 60 airlines and yet the first 787 now has an uncertain delivery date after Boeing announced that its was harming its reputation by announcing launch dates and then pushing them back. All Nippon is suffering a worse fate than most: Boeing has put on hold the development of the short-haul version of the 787 whilst finishing the 797-9. And there's even a hint that it might abandon (or, in legal terms, adjourn sine die) the 787-3 altogether. That, some might say, is no way to treat someone who has ordered 50 planes. Worse, much of the 787 is built in Japan and shipped to Boeing for assembly. All Nippon had been encouraged to order the aircraft as a part of a deal to get the production into Japan. Japan Airlines is in a similar position and they are the only companies to have ordered the short-haul variant.

Although Boeing is staying tight lipped about the launch date, International Lease Finance Company - due to take the first plane - says it expects to get it in November 2011. Even BA which came late to the Airbus party and is a long way down the queue will have A380s by then, on current scheduling.

Airbus is ramping up production: every A380 it puts into the sky drives a stake into Boeing's heart, and with the A350 due to combat the Dreamliner shortly after Boeing's offering starts delivery, the existing A330 series is already competing head on with the 767, which Boeing expects to phase out as the 787 comes into play.

In the meantime, Boeing's troubles have deepened as it has been found to have

Qantas is the last major airline to report its figures for the past year and like most has posted a substantial rise in nett profit - indeed, it's up by 44%. But like the other majors, Qantas knows this is a freak result, in part aided by fuel hedging and a weak USD. Neither can be relied upon. But its profits figures hide a dismal truth: more than a third of its profits came from compensation payments for delays in aircraft delivery.

Pic credit: courtesy Emirates Airlines.