First Route flown by the A380

you’ve got it mate.

First of all, CALM down. I was asking a question, not arguing. People ask questions on this web site and if I have a valid response I will post it.

I was calm the entire time! I was not arguing either, just stating my opinion.

As you say you think it should be used on a prestigious route, I agree it will, but my opinion is that it will after a short duration of short sectors for crew training.

That’s fair enough.

An airlines priority is to train the crew and get them familiar with the aircraft not send it off on a prestigious sectors. Saftey is the name of the game in the aviation industry.

Thanks for filling me in brotha.’ Next time you’re in LAX, let me know, and I’ll buy you a beer. 😉

I am sure I have heard/read somewhere that the first flight will be by Singapore from SIN to LHR, and app SIN confirmed it. I don’t where I have this knowledge from, but, I know I told someone the other day that this was the case and I seem to think it, so I must have heard/read it somewhere?! :confused: :p :rolleyes:

hopefully, THE END.

Therefore I think you are both in agreement 😉

Yes, I do know, in fact, they are listed in my first post which was the thread starter. Look Skycruiser, I don’t work for an airline, you do. I’m not arguing with you, I’m just trying to make a point, based upon historical data. For instance, the 747’s first route by Pan Am was not JFK-MIA or some other short segment, if was JFK-LHR (or the other direction). I know size has nothing to do with ‘it.’ All I’m saying, is that an aircraft as revolutionary, and as mammoth as the A380 is (much like the 747 was 35 years ago) should be deployed on a very prestigious long haul route, a la JFK-LHR like the 747 did in 1970.

First of all, CALM down. I was asking a question, not arguing. People ask questions on this web site and if I have a valid response I will post it. As you say you think it should be used on a prestigious route, I agree it will, but my opinion is that it will after a short duration of short sectors for crew training.
An airlines priority is to train the crew and get them familiar with the aircraft not send it off on a prestigious sectors. Saftey is the name of the game in the aviation industry.

Do you know which airliners and routes they first flew? They all do long haul flying but for the frist month or so into service I would bet on crew training on short routes. I would be very suprised if they went straight onto long haul operations.

Yes, I do know, in fact, they are listed in my first post which was the thread starter. Look Skycruiser, I don’t work for an airline, you do. I’m not arguing with you, I’m just trying to make a point, based upon historical data. For instance, the 747’s first route by Pan Am was not JFK-MIA or some other short segment, if was JFK-LHR (or the other direction). I know size has nothing to do with ‘it.’ All I’m saying, is that an aircraft as revolutionary, and as mammoth as the A380 is (much like the 747 was 35 years ago) should be deployed on a very prestigious long haul route, a la JFK-LHR like the 747 did in 1970.

I’m wondering if they’ll do a world sales and PR tour with one and also if they might show it off in the form of a flypast at airport’s that can’t handle it ?

There’s no doubt, every manufacturer that brings out a new model does a world tour with demo flights, it’s part and parcel of selling an airliner

The aforementioned first routes of the 707, 747, and 777 are immediate examples. These airlines obviously put them into the long-haul sector right off the bat without doing the short-haul thing first. Why is that?

Do you know which airliners and routes they first flew? They all do long haul flying but for the frist month or so into service I would bet on crew training on short routes. I would be very suprised if they went straight onto long haul operations.

[QUOTE=greekdude1]I was just thinking along the lines of a longer long-haul route to be the first revenue flight, given the magnitude and sheer size of the aircraft.
QUOTE]

It’s size has nothing to do with it.
When an aircraft gets handed over it has to be ferried back from the manufacture i.e. Airbus. On its return it will probably go through its own maintenance check and be fitted out to a different spec such as different seats etc.

You can’t just decide to operate a pax service as soon as it comes out of the hangar.

All of our new aircraft are ferried back to HKG, checked and re fitted to our spec before carrying a passenger.

Guys, you are missing the point here.

Firstly SIN to HKG is a very profitble and revenue making service.

I never once doubted this, therefore I am not missing the point. I am well aware how profitable this run can be, as UA is allowed to do so (along with NW, I believe) in addition to SQ and CX, of course. I was just thinking along the lines of a longer long-haul route to be the first revenue flight, given the magnitude and sheer size of the aircraft.

An example of this was BA when thay got the B777, thay were operating them to Paris for months for crew training.

Flying and introducing a NEW type to an airline is not as easy as having one trained crew and letting them loose on it, you need to get the crews trained properly and the best way of doing it is maximum flying in a short space of time.

I do not disagree at all with you skycruiser, and it seems like the most economically feasible thing to do. I recall OA doing this with the A340, using them on ATH-LHR and ATH-CDG, before deploying them on Canada, JFK, and Australia runs. However, in the past, airlines have gotten away with not doing this. The aforementioned first routes of the 707, 747, and 777 are immediate examples. These airlines obviously put them into the long-haul sector right off the bat without doing the short-haul thing first. Why is that?

BA also flew 744s to CDG when some of those first batches arrived. My Dad was lucky enough to get one and was asked “Which aisle would you like Sir?” 😀

Well it won’t be a route operated by AF or VS A380s that’s for sure.
So SQ has already been mentioned, but what about EK? DXB-LHR?

no probs mate.

An example of this was BA when thay got the B777, thay were operating them to Paris for months for crew training.
.

That’s true, I flew once back from LHR on a late flight , and the route was operate by a brand new BA’s 777. It was my first indeed.
I guess we weren’t more than 50 on board , and I always wondered why a 777 on the CDG route.
I thought it might be some kind of ferry…

Thanks Sky for answering this old question 🙂

Guys, you are missing the point here.

Firstly SIN to HKG is a very profitble and revenue making service.

An airline has anywhere between 10 and 25 CREWS per plane, not one. One crew cant fly an aircraft all the time. This means all the crews need line training. You cant do that in the sim at Airbus. To complete this you need maximum sectors quickly, you cant do this operating long haul services.

An example of this was BA when thay got the B777, thay were operating them to Paris for months for crew training.

Flying and introducing a NEW type to an airline is not as easy as having one trained crew and letting them loose on it, you need to get the crews trained properly and the best way of doing it is maximum flying in a short space of time.

Well wouldnt it make more sense to start her on revenue service by flying home LHR to Singapore?? You would only need one set of crew trained for that which could easily be done at Airbus, Tolouse.

I feel it will be a shuttle type flight maybe SIN-HKG to allow maximum crew training.

I don’t see a problem with them doing that when they take delivery of the aircraft, but if that is the first revenue passenger flight, then that’s not very extravagant! A bird of that size needs to go on a long-distance, prestigious route for its first rev flight. That’s just my opinion.

I feel it will be a shuttle type flight maybe SIN-HKG to allow maximum crew training.

SQ will be the launch customer for the A380 in 2006. So, the first route may be to LHR(maybe onto JFK), HKG, NRT, SYD, or even SFO? Any speculation or ideas?

I might think it can be NRT or SYD…if its SYD ill be there. 😀