Airbus A380 "A Winner"

PERTH, Australia, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

-- Chief of the world's largest international airline slams airlines for not using A380 correctly --

http://www.airlineratings.com/news/404/airbus-a380-a-winner

The chief of the world's largest airline has criticized airlines for not buying more A380 super jumbo's as Airbus hints at closing the production line down in 2018.

Responding to a Bloomberg report about Airbus CFO, Harald Wilhelm, telling investors in London on Wednesday that Airbus is considering closing the A380 line because of a lack of orders, Emirates President Sir Tim Clark warned that with air travel due to double in the next ten years to 7 billion passengers, airlines and airports will need giant jets like the 517 seat A380.

"The A380 is a passenger magnet. We operate five a day from Dubai to London's Heathrow and they are 95 per cent full," Mr Clark told Airlineratings.com in an exclusive interview.

"Airlines are too conservative and have not put the right interiors into their A380s."

"Some of the interiors are a disgrace and used 1970s thinking," Mr Clark told Airlineratings.com.

"We put all our premium seats on the upper deck and economy on the main deck, but others have mixed them which is inefficient."

"Our competitors laughed at us when we put showers and a lounge in the A380."

"But passengers love the showers and the lounge."

"The A380 is a great aircraft. If airlines don't believe they can fill an A380 then their business model is wrong," said Mr Clark.

"Their marketing is all wrong."

Emirates has 55 A380s in service with orders for a further 85. However sales to other airlines have almost dried up.

Airbus is considering an upgrade of the A380 -called the A380neo- with new engines and aerodynamic improvements.

Mr Clark said the new model, if built, will have excellent economics, as good as the Boeing 777X that Boeing will introduce in 2018.

"And we will buy 140 of the A380neos" Mr Clark told Airlineratings.com.

"As long as I am around I am going to continue to fight the battle for the A380."

"This is a great aircraft and the world needs it."

A380 Virtual tour: http://www.airlineratings.com/news.php?s&id=74

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