BA say the A380 may have a role in their fleet…

Strongest indications yet that BA may start looking (if not already) at bringing in the A380 into its fleet.

This taken from the FT:

British Airways on Thursday gave its strongest signal to date that it expected eventually to add the Airbus A380 superjumbo to its long-haul fleet.

The 555-passenger A380 has already been ordered by Lufthansa and Air France, BA’s closest European rivals, as well as by its local UK competitor Virgin Atlantic, which will begin flying the A380 from London Heathrow in May 2008.

BA has no immediate need for additional long-haul aircraft and claims that its 110 all-Boeing long-haul fleet comprising 57 747-400s, 43 777s and 10 767s is one of the world’s youngest.

In particular, since the financial crisis that followed the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks in the US, BA has been tightly limiting capital investment in order to reduce its previously very high debt level.

Yesterday, however, Rod Eddington, BA chief executive, said the “A380 may well have a role in our long-term fleet development programme.”

Mr Eddington is confident that BA would still be able to secure attractive purchase terms, even if it is not among the initial group of launch customers for the A380.

“I’ve never subscribed to the concept of ‘buy now while stocks last’,” said Mr Eddington. Airbus needed to sell about 250 aircraft to break even on the A380 project and it was still about 100 short of that target, he said.

To date, Airbus has firm orders and commitments from 14 customers for 149 A380s, including 11 airlines, two express cargo carriers and one leasing company.

BA will come under increasing pressure to buy the A380 as many of its competitors begin to operate the superjumbo into London Heathrow, its main hub, starting with Singapore Airlines from mid-2006.

Article here:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/13e8cf40-6b53-11d9-9357-00000e2511c8.html

Interesting really and a long way away from actually happening I guess, but if BA start going to Airbus for long haul then this will be a major change in their recent long haul policy and a massive coup for Airbus.