Qantas defers A380 deliveries as economic conditions worsen

[flee 5]

Qantas Airways will defer the delivery of Airbus A380 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft, slash capacity, and cut jobs in response to worsening economic conditions, which have forced the Australian airline to cut its profit forecast drastically for the current fiscal year.

 

The Oneworld alliance carrier says that it will defer the delivery of four A380s by 10-12 months and 12 737-800s for an average of 14 months, and is in talks with Boeing to reduce the delivery of 787-8 aircraft over the near term. In addition, it will ground 10 aircraft and make them available for sale. It is also cutting flying capacity for domestic and international routes by 5% and reducing freight capacity on both as well.

 

More here: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/...conditions.html

[jani 0]

I wonder if these would make it faster for MH to receive them then?

[Mushrif A 3]

I wonder if these would make it faster for MH to receive them then?

 

Maybe for the 738s, but certainly not the A380s, not when MH is parking 744s.

[KC Sim 2]

The economic gloom is in itself not Qantas' only problem. A recent spate of reactions to Qantas' new CEO's call for Australian to support the flag carrier clearly shows that many Australians have an axe to grind with them. Qantas' behaviour during the good times - be it fare policy, frequent flier miles devaluation, service - has left a bitter after-taste in the mouths of many Australians who have since become fascinated by airlines from Asia and the Middle East. There was a time when Australians were actually solidly behind Qantas (up to the 1990s).

 

Qantas fleet renewal strategy was previously quite difficult to understand - where the A330-200 and A330-300 fleet is concerned. They were part of the "Working Together" group of airlines that shaped the Boeing 777 but then turned their back on the plane that would have been very useful and efficient in their fleet. The Dreamliner would have been very good for them too . . . but this airline has got to stop sticking to flying somewhere for just three or four times weekly. Its international network is extremely anaemic for an airline that is the second oldest in the world. Its coverage of SE Asia and the rest of Asia (including powerhouses Japan, India and China) is pathetic and that of the Middle East is non-existent.

 

It seems to be having trouble obtaining the traffic rights it wanted in key European cities such as Paris . . . but that is not surprising cosidering how it responded to European carriers' applications for direct services to Australia in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways are the only European carriers with direct services to Australia. All said, it is still one of the most iconic airlines in the world and we will still see lots of it - I just hope it does not farm out too many key routes to Jetstar simply based on costs.

 

KC Sim

[flee 5]

I wonder if these would make it faster for MH to receive them then?

I think that there is only one MH route that would welcome the A380 and that is the KUL-LHR one. Other routes do not require the huge capacity.

 

MH certainly would not mind taking over the delivery slots of the Qantas B738, if they are for this year. But much depends on Boeing too and whether other airlines are ahead of MH in the queues.

[Wilson Kook 0]

I don't think MAS is in desperate need of an A380 now. They can't even fill up some of their flights these days. I'd say they can wait.

[Waiping 12]

If MH is to get priority to those new birds do you think they can finance them under current economic situation?

[Ja Singh 2]

If MH is to get priority to those new birds do you think they can finance them under current economic situation?

MH should snap up this planes 738's