Qatar Airways CEO: The Airbus A380 Was Our Biggest Mistake
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- The future of Qatar Airways’ fleet of 10 A380s has been in doubt for some time. Speaking to Simple Flying at the end of May, Group CEO Akbar Al Baker admits that the purchase of these jets was perhaps the biggest mistake the airline has made.
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The decision to retire these aircraft is purely an economic one. The vast majority of passengers couldn't care less about CO2 emissions. And very few passengers get to choose a carrier based on the type of aircraft flown. For the majority of people the choice is going to be based on price and schedule.
Hear, hear, absolutely right, price comes first and the A380 is a fantastic aircraft ✈!! How many times do we book a flight and the plane is not what's been advertised, airlines chop & change aircraft will nilly.
Furthermore, you have to calculate the impact to the invironment the production makes to buy other jets (350 & 787) and too early scrapping of the jets.
@Didier Byl 747 still out there for many years so 380 is cost too much to operate & keep
100% correct....
@Didier Byl 747 will be replaced by smaller faster airplane . Speed will become the new standard .Give people a choice between size or saving an hour of flight time between New York and Paris . Most would take the faster plane .smaller planes also gives more flexibility to accommodate the needs of the airline. Read Boeings report on the subject
I've flown in the 787 and the a350, but for me, as a passanger nothing beats the size, comfort and the quietness of the a380. Having done many very long-haul flights I have never been more comfortable as a passanger than in the a380. I will truly miss this plane, I think it was a magnificent plane. Economically, just the wrong place at the wrong time really.
I agree with you. Probably the best flights I ever had were on A380's. Not only was it more quiet and comfortable, the biggest plus was disembarking from a long haul international flight and not feeling as tired, grimy and disheveled as I would have on a different plane.
I agree and I also like the the fact that business and first class are upstairs.
BA has me on an A380 coming home next month. I hope they really use it.
I wish there was a way which these mighty eagles could be made fit for the modern world…..
I got back yesterday. Wow, that A380 was quite. It was so nice not get get your ears blasted out. The seats are the same.
My eyes almost rolled out of my head! when I heard him talk about the environmental impact.
Doesn't he know Qatar exports petroleum?
Qantas is going Carbon neutral and they're doing it with A380's in their fleet. Maybe Qatar don't have the know how?
@@olivegrove2615 Qatar airways is much more successful than Qantas, so looks like Qantas doesn’t have the know how to manage an airline the way it should be
@@olivegrove2615 "Carbon neutral" basically just means they are buying pieces of paper which say they are forgiven
Environmental concerns are an afterthought. Qatar wouldn’t have hesitated to keep them running if they were still profitable.
Not really airlines are concerned about the fuel-efficency of the planes mainly because the fuel prices are really high
EUROPEANS, AMERICANS, ....BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES. YOU HAVE SPENT DECADES POLLUTING AND NOW YOU COME TALK ABOUT "ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT"
I’ve travelled multiple times by A380 in both business & economy class. It’s honestly one the best planes ever created. I hope most airline continue using it. However I have the same fond feelings about Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which was quieter than A380
We'll thats been proven wrong by multiple studies the a350 and a380 are significantly quieter. Might have just perceived it quieter because you think its a newer plane
Yeah sure, out of the sudden Qatar Airways cares about the ecological side of the A-380...
It's a purely economical decision (pretty ridiculous greenwashing coming from an airline owned by Qatar - on of the countries with the highest CO2 emission per head and living from selling oil)
💯💯💯
you yourself said it... "..... The countries with the highest CO2 Emission per head" they are trying to reduce that number... and unfortunately it starts with getting rid of fuel inefficient things
I feel you are somewhat misinformed. I have lived in Qatar for many years as an expat. Qatar does not make its living from selling oil. It make its living from selling gas. If you got your facts straight, then your position may be more tenable.
@@sportster883able his point still stands then...
No one cares about co2
It's hard to believe Al Baker cares about environmental impact and it just looks like he's trying to campaign against Emirates with this message box.
There's the point!
I was going to say the same thing
He doesn’t care about the environmental impact he cares about the cost of fuel
Exactly!
Agreed.
The whole environmental dribble coming out the CEO's mouth is pure garbage. This is purely an economic decision. The cost to operate per passenger mile is far in excess of newer plans.
You're half right. The biggest issue with any passenger plane is empty seats. No matter what anyone does the basics costs of airport fees, hangar fees, office costs, baggage handling costs, maintenance costs and all the others exist EVERY time the plane flies. There is fundamentally for any aircraft a set cost before you even start the engines. The only offset to that is bums on seats and its a lot easier to fill a smaller plane against that cost.
I did aerospace engineering and this basic concept was also the downfall of the space shuttle. Before it ever lifted off and flew a single kilogram into orbit it had to lift 75 tons into orbit. It had a payload capacity to orbit of 30 tons and the basic costs of preparing it for flight was the same if it launched with 1 ton or 30 tons.
Just image the financial loss on an a half full A380. You still have to start and run 4 engines. You still have to lift all that basic mass into the sky. Compared to a plane half the size with only 2 engines the math is very, very simple. Then there was also the issue that the A380 could only operate at special terminals. Planes like 737s and A320s can go almost anywhere. 🤷♂️🤷♀️
There was one place the A380 did shine and that was for those very busy long haul routes taking bulk numbers of people from major hubs to major hubs where they could reliably fill (or come close to filling) the plane. It was similar for the 747.
@@tonywilson4713 Still after writing two paragraphs, you didn't explain how he's half right!
He said the same thing as you, it's an economy driven decision, you just expanded it
That's not entirely true. Now that the EU doesn't have to protect the A380 program, they are cracking down on airline emissions. Right before, and right before the pandemic, they put forward some regulations that basically all but killed the quad jet market. There is even some debate over whether this would kill 747 cargo planes. It was going to become an issue, but everything got grounded a month latter so no one cares.
More VIRTUE SIGNALING mumbo jumbo
@@tonywilson4713 Thank you for the long and detailed comment. Could (would it still make economic sense when compare to the operating costs of a Boeing 777 or 787) airlines use the A380 exclusively on special routes and markets (gates) only where there is market capacity (for just enough A380)? I love flying it on long hauls (14-15+ hours).
The elephant in the room: they "forgot" to mention that it is a very big plane and nowadays difficult to fill up with passangers. That's the main problem, of course. It is not more polluting per passanger/mile than the B787 or B737. In fact, what would be good for the environment is fewer smaller planes in very busy routes like the ones between Europe and the USA: it doesn't make sense to have a flight between London and New York every few minutes every day. You can carry the same number of passengers with far less flights with the A380 and still have plenty of flights to choose from. But not regulator is looking into that because the airlines are against it (it would mean less polution, less noise polution but also less flights and that would affect some airlines) By the way, neither Airbus or Boeing care about it either: their biggest successes are smaller planes like the Boeing737 and A320 so they are happy to carry on building smaller planes for ever.
“The customers love it.” That is a good sign to get rid of a product.
Vs. Cost of Operation (simple cost benefit)
hahaha...
We have been in it once, and this was one time too many.
Well, customers love A220s as well…
If you aren't going to get enough customers to buy seats and travel on the aircraft to make it pay for itself then it is a big mistake.
The aircraft is too big for its own good. Air France, Singapore, Lufthansa have already decommissioned many of theirs.
Whether or not people love them or not is neither here nor there. I can't imagine that it would be a criteria mentioned in the boardroom of any of the airlines involved.
Personally I would be just happy flying in a Boeing 777 or Airbus a330/a350. There really isn't the need or the demand for a double deck aircraft.
But hat's off to Airbus for having built it in the first place. As the Qatar Airways CEO points out it seemed a good idea at the time but things change, the world changes.
Now and only because they decided to retire them, the CEO is talking about taking care of the environment and how environmental friendly they are versus Emirates
Dude is obsessed with Emirates
Not obsession, it is what he meant when talking about airlines woth large 380 fleet
@@alltimeaviation6812 I meant Al Baker
Which is completely bs talking about the environment. That was the least of their concerns they just completely lose money off of them
Well he's not lying, emirates just posted an annual loss of 2billon and with the rising cost of fuel which is an airline #1 expenditure with over 150 there going to feel it. Yes they can swoop out A380 for the 777-300 but having planes just parked until the market is better or flying A380 with less than half of its capacity is going to be hard on there bottom line. The UAE 🇦🇪 government typically throws Emirates whatever cash it needs, but at some piont that'll be questionable as well.
Probably the 1st and last time you will hear a Qatari complain about rising fuel costs!!
Great video as always!!
You know what’s also damaging to the environment? Retiring and scrapping airplanes after only 5-10 years.
All retired airliners should be turned into housing, restaurants, hotels, etc! No more scrapping!
Should be in storage
I wouldn't be surprised if another airlines buys them to use. They still have 10 years plus of life left and I'm sure they will sell for much less than new. American has been known to buy used Frontier airbuses in the past.
@@dillonh321 yeah I’m sure that’s the case. I just don’t see the sense of some airlines flipping planes like they’re smartphones.
And all the oil they are extracting that then is transformed into gasoline and pollutes the environment.
Being a frequent flyer before the pandemic, the A380 was simply the most comfortable, stable and quiet plane that I have flown in. I have flown Qatar Airways before but not on their A380 though.
Yep the newer 787/A350 are horrible in comparison
I often tell myself that we live a rare experience in history flying such a confortable aircraft. It will disappear and I'm not sure we will ever see the same level.....
A380 is a masterpiece - just like the Concord two planes retired too early
@@bargeonline I agree, though the 350 has Qsuites and I don't think 380s do.
Farewell to the BIG, FAT, UGLY, FUEL GUZZLER A-380. It was ALWAYS a HUGE MISTAKE !!!
Pitty. The A380 was probably the best most comfortable plane I've ever travelled in.
the A380 is super comfortable and quiet yeah
Agree buddy. I love the A380. Sad to see the A380 go.
No worries.. Just fly emirates
@@sheromefonseka1852 I had way more privacy, space, time to relax and better food as a passenger on a container ship than on any airplane ever:)
Same experience on a Boeing dreamliner.
When an employee commits a mistake, he is fired. But when CEO admits a mistake and cost millions of dollars in loss, it's a bad decisions and move on. Really wired. This guy change his strategy quite often and who is gonna bear vthe loss of money
Don’t forget the bonus’ CEO’s/Execs pay themselves for “fixing” a costly mistake they themselves made (by fixing I mean staff cutbacks, salary freezes, product rollbacks ect)
Try BILLIONS!
Earning 85 million a day on a bad day , they will not worry to mush & with oil prices going up , They are racking it in
Don't forget when the CEO makes big expensive mistake, it means 1 thing, the CEO gets big raise
so y'all just figuring out that an employee is a lot more disposable than someone that can rise to ceo? 😂
I remember that this same guy (the CEO) was very vocal a few years ago, when Airbus delayed their delivery of the first 380 to his company.
He is channeling the “Anime was a mistake” vibes
Akbar al Baka
@@LotusFlyerGoddammit... it’s not like I enjoyed this joke a lot or anything...
Not related at all.
As a guy who just recently started watching anime, I find this funny.
@Misplaced that the truth, i Have to tell a lot of things about thay type of animation. And for biggins, have any of you ask what those Japanese guys think on their he'd when they make something immoral?
I flew one one of these a few years ago...I thought it was a wonderful, comfortable plane. Loved the flight!
Me too (Qantas I think), but as it was over half empty I realised then it was doomed.
Its awesome, had like 10 flights in them, but like the other commenter noted, half empty
Flew on a Qantas A380-842 VH-OQB about 2 years ago, in the lower deck forward economy section just ahead of the wings behind the 2nd door, a wonderful aircraft, so quiet. Walked around the lower deck to the rear and it was a little louder, but still quieter than a 787, etc.
Wow that must bin fantastic experience, do you still
fly airbus or boing ??, was it easy to fly ¿¿¿
@@MeaHeaR I fly whatever the airline says I fly
I'd like to see his carbon footprint 😂😂
To do so better wear a scented mask
Funny that companies SUDDENLY seem to care so much about the environment. There's definitely more to this other than operating cost, because just as Tim Clark said, people love this airplane and it's still a viable option.
people love it but wont pay 2x the ticket price for the flight just to keep them in the air
My only experience flying on the A380 was brilliant. It came years after I was to fly on the A380 to Australia, but the incident when an engine fell off the Qantas flight grounded the airplanes.
It's an engineering masterpiece as well as a plane
As a rule, I've noticed that, the more a company's reasons are declared motivated by benevolence, the bigger the lie behind it.
@@sterotacromycopheno not at all The 747 is an engineering masterpiece . Time proven reliability , performance , cost effective . It was planned to be a double decker ,but Boeing decided against it after failing the emergency evacuation test . After 41 years it still is going strong and being produced . That is an engineering masterpiece . A380 nothing but a copy cat that is impractical .
Interesting that he can make a multimillion dollar mistake like that and still remain CEO. I guess Qatar has money to burn!
Yes the government’s money lol
The Aircraft was never going to be profitable and that is why Boeing did not compete against the A380 because if you worked in the industry you would have seen ahead only a few countries had the workload for that aircraft there is no way that aircraft could have survived. Think of how many airports could accommodate the A380.
@@bunchiee5752 So I guess the 747-8 doesn’t exist
He has friends and family in government and probably half own Qatar.
The mistake Sizzlemann is that the bought just too many into their fleet.
I HAVE FLOWN ON HUNDREDS OF PLANES AND THE A380 IS THE BEST I HAVE EVER BEEN ON it is ok this guy saying it costs more to run but he does not pay for my tickets!
No,but you pay his salary.
@@daviddowling9830 not anymore I`M going over to emerates
When is Islamist jihadi worried about ozone layer n clean emmision... 🙄❤️🙄🙄
I beg ot differ. The Boeing 777 is the best IMHO.
I flew in the A380. Best flight of my life.
Smooth quiet comfortable spacious safe.
I would still fly it. The A380 and the Concorde are my 2 top aircraft.
Like if you agree 👍
And Beluga
Jossy, you can probably but both for cheap at the scrapyard !!
Qatar Airways A380 fleet : 10
Emirates A380 fleet : 157 (and working pretty well in their business model)
For the CEO of Qatar Airways to suggest that people should not chose the A380 is more of a competition move. I don't think he cares about the environment, he is just telling travelers: "Hey folks, don't use Emirates use us!"
It only makes sense for Emirates because they use the hub system Qatar was point to point. Even Singapore Airlines is starting to retire them because the only way to make them cost effective is from hub to hub with connecting flights. Any that run point to point lose money.
Emirates is going with the 777X ordered 120 units. The A-380 is done as off Feb 2019 But Emirates has to run them because they only run 2 airframes until the Boeing 777X can replace them.
He cares so much about the environment 🤣
😂😂😂😂
Yeah idk if he’s making it a scapegoat or if he’s genuine..
@@shirshakbt He's actually trying really hard to trash his main competitor Emirates!!
🤣
If he in fact truly cares about the environment he should cease eating meat. Worldwide animal farming destroys the environment more than planes, trains and cars combined. Who knows, maybe he is vegan. 🤷🏾♀️
ahahaha he seems very enviromentally concerned for managing an airline that retires an aircraft that could live 4 times the lifetime reached
Even tho it’s gonna be retired, some one probably would buy it since it’s only 4-6 years old. But fuel prices may deter customers.
Doesn't really have an impact. A low hour aircraft will either be bought by another airline or recycled and become something else.
It's because they are are on lease and then end up with other carriers. Like EK a vast majority of the fleet on on sale lease back deals.
@@wecf1411 unfortunately there are plenty of other A380s that have around 4-6 years (but also older) of lifetime on the market and it's surprising if more than 10% of them actually live a second life... the only winner is Emirates that will have nearly unlimited spare parts for cheap
@@wecf1411 Emirates is probably the most likely buyer, but we'll see how it plays out.
Politically correct remarks about the environment by the CEO, but his tune might have been different had Qatar been making money from the operation of the A380.
Petroleum and natural gas represents the bulk of the Qatar economy. But suddenly with the A380 they are worried about the environment and emissions hahah. The A380 just wasnt making them enough money. 'Plane' and simple
That made me laugh too. I worked offshore in Qatar too😂😂😂😂
@@dubbelosexy Not as much anymore as those nations around Qatar turned against them. I think they themselves as an international airline where environmental concerns is more important.
More VIRTUE SIGNALING mumbo jumbo
This is the same Akbar Al Baker who defended Qatar Airways policy of firing unmarried cabin crew who became pregnant, and refused to change course until Barcelona FC threatened to pull their sponsorship agreement due to the perceived damage it could do to the FCB brand.
Now all of a sudden he’s concerned about the environment, whilst running an airline... in a country in the Middle East? Come on!!!
The A380 is one of the best planes I ever flew on. I loved it.
I would happily fly with Emirates instead of QA if the plane was an Airbus of any description vs. a Boeing. Especially if it was an A380. I would also pay a slight premium not to fly on a Boeing.
This is a dog whistle attack on emirates, nothing more.
Many Chevy suburban (or other mega SUVs) owners feel the same way.
That guy said if I’m going down I’m taking all of you with me. Where was the airline’s environmental mindset when Qatar airways was operating the A380 for many years? 😂
It was environmentally-friendly when they could fill them with passengers, but now they don't have enough passengers to fill them so it's better to put them on a 787 or A350.
Exactly lol
More VIRTUE SIGNALING mumbo jumbo
When I can choose, I always choose A380. The most comfortable plane ever
Such a shame. I've flown on 6 Qatar A380s and enjoyed every mole flow. The crews were exceptional.
Did I actually hear the CEO of an airline whose name bears the same name as an oil producing country complain about rising fuel costs? Man, it doesn’t get any more crazy than that.
The biggest mistake was appointing him as a CEO !
Lmao exactly
The problem is.. he is the owner & CEO
&he is still as he was the only one who can run Q A
😂😂😂
Although he is right in many aspects, I'll have to disagree with his comments on the A380's carbon emissions from a technical perspective; assuming that seats are full of course. But then again, its design ultimately led to its demise. More fuel is needed to carry all the fuel it is hauling, let alone its gross tonnage. There just isn't a market for it anymore and the pandemic is the final nail to its coffin. I am sad because I've flown in a lot of types of aircraft but it seems like I'll never get the chance to fly on an a380.
I've had on flight in an emirates a380 and it was enough.
It felt packed and noisy. I always find smaller wide body like a330 and 787 to be the best out of everything
Then....
Covid 19 and global warming are the same BS GLobal Conspiracy theory the governments of the world has created and we the people are allowing them to do it! lets stop complying with BS or we loose our freedoms which is already happening!
You can fill up the seats with cheap tickets, but that wouldn't be economically viable. There's just no way to have the cake and eat it. It's not possible to use a four-engined plane that utilizes now relatively older and less fuel-efficient technology and expect it to be environmentally friendly, economically viable, and competitive in a market where the 777x and A350 are available for only a small penalty in available seats. The A380 is not a bad plane. It was just 30 years too early to the game.
I totally disagree with you view. I have flown extensively over the last 20 years. In my opinion best four aircraft are as follows:-
1.A380 (Emirates)
2.A350-900 (Cathay)
3.Boeing 747-8 (Lufthansa)
4.Boeing 787-1000 (Singapore)
CEO says "the mistake in the design" and then you call five planes 'impaired'. What do these two statements mean? Is this biz-speak - like 'pivot'?
Design, why buy so many at different times ? The guy is a bloody liar.
LOL @the mouhtpiece of Qatar - one of the largest oil producers in the world - preaching "emissions control"
Go to Ca, MacLarens everywhere, massive mansions. Yet they all claim to be green. Elton John, Google execs, Bezos, Prince Harry etc arrive to climate confs in private jets...
It’s unfortunate that the dynamics of air travel have shifted and the A380 no longer makes sense for airlines. It is far and away the sturdiest and most comfortable plane I have ever been on. Before the A380 came along, the B747 was always my preference. But the A380
is on a whole different level, all by itself.
The A380 is a marvel of engineering, just like the Concorde was, but in a different way. It was designed to answer what were current preoccupations at the time but went airborne too late, when the problematics did not longer exist. They are still marvelous planes.
A shame for those of us who love the A380 that it had such a short life. Personally, I would like to have the opportunity to fly more times with this magnificent plane
the only issues with the A380 (that I PERSONALLY think, you are not required to agree with it) was its cost of manufacture, which lead to higher cost of maintenance and obviously its fuel consumption..
I've never flown aboard an A380😭
Same for me. I chose to fly with Qatar Airways for my 3 latest trips because of their A380s. I love the company but I will be switching to another one who keeps flying A380s.
The A380's larger size is illusory. A 'bigger cabin' does not mean more personal space; it just seems that way. Although I guess the larger cabin has appeal for those who are uncomfortable in confined spaces.
@@bbcc133 the A380 economy seats ARE wider, indipendently from the airline. And being wider it is also more stable during flight and, especially in the upper deck, it is way less noisy. Also, the A380 is the only aircraft where premium classes are common to have a shower and a lounge bar
I’d be more than happy to pay a little extra to continue to fly on A380’s
Okay but you and every passenger would have to pay double or triple of a non a380 flight. Which just isn't going to happen.
@@bftjoe rubbish
@@alexjohnward What is KO’ing the current kings of the sky isn’t mechanical issues or shifting passenger preferences (who wouldn’t prefer a giant comfy plane with a bar?) but that age-old culprit, the dismal science of economics.
The A380 burns a lot of fuel considering its weight and four-engine configuration, but airlines are dropping the giant plane even in a time of low-fuel costs. In 2017, Singapore Airlines retired several of the craft. In 2016, Qantas canceled an order for eight, and even home team Air France dropped two planes from an order of 12. The A380 is essentially on deathwatch, with production set to drop to below one per month if new orders don’t arrive. Even the plane’s signature sweeping staircase may face the budget-cutters’ ax.
Why are airlines dropping the A380 even when fuel is cheap? Operating costs. Estimates are that operating A380s costs between $26,000 and $29,000 per hour. By contrast, an average flight on an American Airlines 737-800, which can hold 160-175 passengers and has a range of about 2,900 miles, costs $2,180 per hour.
@@bftjoe sounds like you love to make up numbers.
Anyway, i am not setting my feet into a boeng deathtrap willingly.
So id rather then just change airline i use.
They should start to give insurance to passengers, so they can be guaranteed that airliners do not try to push them into any boeing max deathtrapper.
@@bftjoe you are comparing a mid range aircraft with 170 passenger with a long range one with up to 800 passengers. So the Airbus A380 is quite on the same coast level as the mid range one. Do you math right.
Yesterday Airbus announced willing to reuse some of the A380 to run tests on the hydrogen engines.
Turn them all into water carriers to put out all the forrest fires 🔥
The best plane I have ever flown on.
The A380 Businesses class is unmatchable compared to any other business classes
On which airlines? My Air France business class experience on the B777 was far superior to A380 business class on the same airline.
@@jimandmandy Qatar Airways, out of the world experience!
The great strength of the A380 is the ability of providing great experiences for first and business class passengers.
If I had a choice, 787, A350, A380. I'd pick the A380 every time. By far the most comfortable jet.
A380,five years to the scrap heap,747,60 years still flying.
I will always choose the A380 if available on my route. Also if the cost are 50% higher for the ticket I would choose the A380. It is also not that inefficient for the added flight comfort and security! They never crash and are nearly always on time.
A surprisingly candid revelation about the inefficiency of the A380 by the Quatar Airline CEO, and an even more surprising rationale: care for the environment! Bravo.
I love the A380, it's really great.
So do I ! I have 4 scaled models of it.
I had the pleasure of flying on a Qatar Airlines A380 from Paris to Qatar. It had to be the nicest airliner I ever flew on. The service and experience was phenomenal, unmatched by any U.S. airline.
I have flown on this beautiful bird with 4 different airlines, it was great and I will miss it as will many others
James the big spender hahahaha
the only a380 i have ever flown on was a qatar airways a380, and the transition to the sky is incredible and the comfort you get is something no other planes can compare to
I can literally see the bs coming out of his mouth about environmental concerns
I have never once chosen a flight based on the airplane type or carbon emissions…
Do you fly much?
I don't, but I am VERY concerned about the aircraft I am booked on if there has recently been a catastrophic air crash. The fuel economy and/or carbon footprint? Not so much.
After the two boeing accidents with the same plane type, I always make sure that the plane I'm flying with is not the same type. Sometimes even make sure that it's not Boeing. Later I found out that Airbus has higher percentage of accidents, so...
@@011azr that sounds exhausting, expensive and super inconvenient. I’ve also rarely seen the airplane type listed on a ticket purchase.
When I used to fly about 100,000 miles a year for business, and given a choice, I was very keen on aircraft type. Pretty easy to look up on website. Different aircraft had very different seating comforts. Upstairs on 747 long haul flights were very quiet and usually comfortable. Downstairs in back of a 747 with 3-4-3 seating, or a DC10 with 2-5-2 was horrible. Like I said, it was a few years (decades) ago.
This was the best Plane experience in My lifetime .......-------
Same here
Agree. And I hate the 777, it's so noisy
Same here, from Doha to Sydney, from Sydney to Doha, from Melbourne to Doha.... What a fantastic plane!!!
The best airplane in the world
Same. 747-8 was really good too. Both dying out.
So is the A380 suddenly spewing more emissions than it was when they purchased them?
I think the matter is emissions are counted on the number of occupied seats. If 95% of the seats are being occupied, then perhaps the emissions are very reasonable. However if only 60% of the seats are occupied, then it turns into an expensive flight for the company - carburant wise. Of course, the company is not saying publicly "fuel consumption", they rather talk about "gas emissions" to mix the announcement with some "green image" marketing
Todays planes are more emission friendly now than they were when the A380 was introduced.
😅😅
All of these airlines that are rushing to retire the A380 will surely regret it. They all panicked because of the pandemic.
As far as I know, the A380 was supposed to be an efficient plane in terms of fuel/passenger, but this assumes the plane is always (near) full which I guess is not an easy thing to do.
Emirates makes the A380 work because they fly so many of them which brings down maintenance costs. They act as a hub/spoke airline through their hub so maximizing passenger volume is key and many of their destinations are slot controlled.
I agree, and use the Emirates hub and spoke for USA to India, and I find even the a380 economy window seat better than many cheaper business classes. But the issue of landing slots in several USA East Coast airports is where Emirates is at a competitive advantage for opening up the globe to customers. I agree Qatar is probably not in the same competitive situation, and now the a380 may not work as well for them. I also prefer the Emirates hub to either Heathrow or Mumbai.
They now regret they got so many and not smaller aircraft. Even pre pandemic they were planning to move away from such a large 380 fleet. Simply too many seats to fill on a costly airframe.
Emirates only kept afloat by the government, they lost billions, one of the worst performing airlines. Look it up.
A380 were so useful that they kept them on the ground.
A380 is propped up by government funded airline that doesn't need to make money. It makes no sense.
@@bftjoe Alaska is the only airline never to file bankruptcy or go into debt.
So, they didn’t think or care about the environment when they bought the the 380 years ago ?
It is reported that Qatar is one of, if not the number one, top polluters in the world. Al Baker apparently is the only tree hugger in all of Qatar but since there isn't a lot of trees there, he gets a pass. So to answer, no, no they don't.
It might have been a mistake, but I wouldn't hold it against the airline. They went with a plane that satisfied a business model that was still current at the time. World events just caught up with them so fast they didn't have the time to react properly. New ETOPS regulations, 9/11, fuel prices, more fuel efficient planes, the pandemic... All that within the span of only 20 years.
Boeing abandoned the idea of a super jumbo because they foresaw the market changing. The A380 was the result of a obsession that started with the Airbus CEO back in the 80's, and just finally came to fruition.
@@sparkplug1018 Didn't stop them blowing a tonne of money on the B747-8 program
@@willpeden6055 True, not saying Boeing hasn't made mistakes. Just look up Boeing 2707. However, they know when to say enough enough.
Not really It was a vanity of purchase To keep up with their emirates competitor. Their hub Is a fraction of the size and could never keep up with the volume emirates generates
@@johniii8147 Thats why Qatar bought them for sure, because they can. Was still a mistake to build it, or continue to pursue it. Airbus and Qatar both made mistake on this one.
A380 was an awesome plane , ample leg space , luxurious interiors , wider seats. Extremely quiet. Very Economical and cost effective for long distance travel , have travelled atleast 5 times with Singapore airlines and Emirates. Sad that COVID disrupted marvelous engineered plane , sad to miss A380
Excuse me, "was an awesome plane"? So in Your opinion it isn't anymore? And because an incapable Companies like Qatar Airways cannot find a way to sell their sits and stop using them (5 of their 10 A380 planes) the plane is suddenly bad? It will take a couple of years to restore the air traffic to pre-covid times and then big planes will be in big demand again!
Speaking for myself, I love flying Qatar and Emirates because of the comfort factor. The Qatar CEO raises a valid point. However, most people look at a ticket cost versus environmental emission damage. Having said that, I think the scandal involving the Boeing 737 Max has made passengers pay attention to the type of aircraft for their flight in addition to ticket price. Boeing has shown they value the dollar more than human life. Even the hearing in the US congress about the 737's has shown Boeing can NOT be trusted. This does NOT mean others are more honest. My point is now people are paying attention to ticket costs and type of plane for safety reason and not so much environment impact.
This sygneg guy has spammed the whole comment section 💀
Thanks, this has been taken care of. - TB
It was arguably the biggest mistake for Airbus too. A beautiful aircraft in a time of huge change in the industry.
Airbus also failed to hedge their bets as Boeing did with the 747. Boeing envisaged that had there not been a market for giant airliners, they were designed such that they could easily be converted to freighters. The A380 simply can't.
Simple Flying. Please do something about Sygneg from the comments section.
More than half of your comments are from that bot who copies other people’s comments and spams them everywhere.
Thanks, this has been taken care of. - TB
@@SimpleFlyingNews Thanks!
A380...The best airplane made ever!
Can’t they find a way to make it more efficient 😭😭 this is sad
Well, when a CEO says passenger comfort is not the priority of his airline v CO2 emissions, I'm putting a line through that airline as a carrier I'll fly with.
Passengers don't care about passenger comfort, that's why they only real luxury airlines are government supported.
The mistake in their design? Like too big for your capacity as an airline? Right. At this point, even the 777-X is too big for most airlines.
I suspect he's referring to the engine. Emirates requested Airbus reengine the jets as well. Could be wrong, but I'm guessing that's the issue he's referring to.
The CEO might be a little too tough on himself.
Did he really know that the 787 was going to reduce need for the hub-and-spoke model of scheduling?
Not really applicable in this context since Qatar is a (single) hub-and-spoke airline for the foreseeable future.
@@GeorgeBot7
Yep...and they are in big trouble due to their hub-and-spoke biz model.
Now people from "second tier" cities such as Philly can fly non-stop to another "second tier" city such a Edinburgh Scotland, or an Asian city.
That's false, the 787 is no revolution. Which exactly point to point routes has it opened? The reality is that the Dreamliner is a low-risk plane for weak airlines who don't have the balls to innovate. The majority of the customers simply replaced other twin engine jets such as 777 and 767 with the Dreamliner. It's no revolution as Boeing would like people to believe.
The only one trying to innovate with the 787, Norwegian with their long haul low cost, have failed miserably.
The sole point to point plane right now is the A321 LR (and sub-sequentially XLR). Thinking to serve smaller cities with a wide body is simply madness...the operational costs
Bro you are right
@@luca7069 plenty of routes have been opened up by the 787, you can find examples on google. But you’re right the 787 was not the plane that broke hub-and-spoke, it just accelerated the downfall.
I don’t think passengers are concerned about emissions. It’s more about comfort. airlines will be concerned about fuel efficiency and Airlines will keep flying A380s as long as it’s feasible to run the A380.
The biggest mistake actually is QR employing this ruthless ancient albaker as the Chief.
Sure if their A380 are empty the impact is huge but if they replace one A380 flight by 2 787 not sure the environnent likes it sooo much. I doubt 787 is emitting 50% less CO2 than the A380. When 777-9 will be out I would accept this kind of thinking :)
Most of the A380s had a lower seat density (less than the 520 seats that Airbus recommends at 3 classes), so it'll be more inefficient in comparison to two 787s carrying exactly half of the pax each.
The A380 was a flagship where the airlines placed many premium seats on it.
What a hypocrite, spinning it of as if they are environmentally conscious.
Airline that own A380
Before 2020: it was a biggest success
After 2020: it was a biggest mistake
Not really. Air France and other airlines were already looking to retire the A380 before COVID hit (along with 747s). It just accelerated the retirement process.
A 380 is very spacious and comfortable. I travelled only once and it was a good experience. These planes if available for cheap prices, they could become restaurants in Dubai or Qatar.
I once flew in a380 it’s massive engineering keeps you awe all through the journey.
Turn them into a fleet of Qatar hotels. Recover some of the looses.
Or stadiums for the next World Cup 2024.
They will likely be sold for parts. They are still a lot of $$ to extarct from those machines
Airbus please just retrofit these beast with the XWB engine . XWB engine was meant for these. It will transform this plane into the longest range aircraft instantly. I presume 18000 km with the XWB 84. And it will become the best plane
That, Would be good but only 3 Airlines will be willing to Buy It. Maybe in the future, They can make the A380 an 2 engine jet. Double Deckers with 2 Engines can be the Future
@@dunit4907 Question is can 1 engine make it across the atlantic if one has a malfunction?
That's what the A350 was built for. The A380's time is simply over and retrofits to it do not make sense now.
@@TafadzwaMapamula Thats Why The Engines have to be out of this World
@@TafadzwaMapamula ETOPS exists for this very reason
It was no mistake when they ordered, but it became a mistake due to the development on the aviation market. Most Arabic nations invested into the hub/spoke model with certain big hubs (airports) and smaller planes to local airports. And the A380 and the 747 were the planes for that model. This concept became unpopular over time and the global pandemic didn't help. Unlike the 747 there is no cargo conversion option so there is no other option than to cancel the service.
Aviation history is full of examples where decisions which seemed right at the time developed to financial disasters.
Nobody could predict this development.
Not having a cargo conversion option was a huge mistake IMHO.
@@nunyabidness117 there was a cargo a380 but it was never built because UPS decided to go with the 747-8 and fedex stuck with the md-11
@@YEETMAN-dt9mb Airbus decided to prioritize the passenger version so the orders for the cargo version disappeared.
It's very strange to hear about environmental impact from some company based in a country where natural gas and oil is mining in astronomical volumes.
so this guy says that the emissions by THOUSANDS of planes flying everyday is okay, but as soon as the A380 comes in, then NO, the world is gonna DIE
I rhink Qatar made a mistake with that CEO, he has issues with Airbus on many fields, starting with the paint of the aircraft on and on. Wait for thr CRs are coming pretty soon , according to them.
When it’s loaded to capacity I thought the 380 was fairly efficient?
Not relative to newer options ie 350/787. And filling them to capacity is a huge part of the problem on a regular basis at profitable fares. It was just over designed for a larger version that never happened that added tons of weight.
It is.
Ok. Thanks for responding
Airlines don't put many seats on the A380 in the first place exactly because they would just fly empty most of the time. Compare max passengers of A380 as actually configured with 777 or 747 or A350. It is actually not that different. I believe 747s have been configured for more actual passengers than the A380.
If you did fill all the seats, it would only be because you offered some HUGE discounts, so you wouldn't even make more money.
Don’t say that to the poor a380’s :(
i have flown the A380, and greatly enjoyed it.I WANT HESITATE, and look forward to flying in it again.
I don't understand how oil prices would affect them? I thought these gulf states had plenty of oil?!
It maybe ilogical, but i agree with Mr. Al Baker. So when those 5 Qatar A380s will retired from the current fleet ?
Qatar Airways Ceo is always illogical. He doesnt make any sense, when Airbus A350 had paint problem, he said that they will switch to all Boeing fleet
@@sygneg7348 What are you on about? A lot of airports aren't even slot controlled.
If an airport was slot controlled, an airline could run a 777 or A350 and carry almost the same number of passengers as an A380 or 747.
@@bftjoe Check out the other comments. This guy’s spam. Report him.
@@sygneg7348 you do have a point there that's when larger planes more economical look at New York JFK and Los Angeles to Incheon Airport it's a fully filled A380. Even the same story also applies to South Korea Philippines routes but PR ends up using A321 on MNL-ICN even though competitors from South Korea Asiana and Korean Air use A330 family B777 family B747-8/400 instead of A321 which PR & 5J do.
"Mr Al Baker" is an enormous hypocrite. He made a big investment in a plane type, and years later when these planes are not useful anymore, he just calls it a "mistake" and makes laughable excuses about CO2 emissions to cover it up.
It's strange how SimpleFlying loves praising him for some reason...
He said “mistake” too much. It’s soo easy to look backward but I flew with Qatar Airways thanks to the A380. So at least he should appreciate this plane ✈️ as it expanded their network. But over the years Qatar Airways is getting conceited about its own value at the image of its CEO. Prices went up and the “wow effects” faded away years after years. Same with Emirates in fact. I decided to stop flying with Qatar Airways when I realised inflight services/meal are getting poorer/average. The business lounge is only for impressing the eyes but quality decreased over the years. So I’m not surprised he put the A380 as the core of Qatar Airways’ issue but sometimes it’s better improve itself rather than complaining like a child.
He said it good when it launched back in 2002.
The A380 really was a victim of world changes that couldn't have been predicated. It's the unfortunate reality of a plane simply coming to a market that no longer had a use for it. I do hope the type continues flying because they are cool planes, but I have a feeling that unless they end up in cargo service, they may not be flying for too long.
They were victim of the “hub” reorganization of the air routes, curtailing long haul. As you said, remotorization to giant twin high-bypass could prolong their life, in cargo sir, in cargo. That’s a shame.
I thought Boeing wrote a paper on the changes that were coming in the 90’s , which is why they didn’t go ahead with a superjumbo
You are a really big pessimist! OK, at the moment people don't travel so much when they don't have to. But sooner or later the air traffic will be back and a demand for big planes (when full, they are very efficient) will rise again! But if I understand You correctly, You believe this pandemic will last indefinitely
@@andrejcerjak1790 if a small or medium twin jet has the range to fly point to point why would any sane traveler suffer through changing at a hub ? The better the smaller jets get the less reason there will be for super jumbos.
@@andrejcerjak1790 I think these planes were on their way out before the pandemic. At the most, the pandemic simply fasttracked their retirement. If Airlines thought these planes would be cost effective long term, more carriers would've purchased A380s and 747-8s. But they didn't. So, I can't help but feel like these big quad jets are simply (for passenger service) unnecessary in a world where twinjets can carry similar capacities while being more efficient. In terms of cargo, these planes will always have their place...but then again, so do much older designs that are much cheaper to purchase up front.
This CEO would have walked the plank in any other airline for that mistake...however honesty is a quality with which he is unfamiliar, as his issues with the paint on the A340's indicates, and his contention that they are currently unfit for purpose. Devious and scheming are words that come to mind.
Appreciate Qatar airline CEO for his straight talk on the face of global giant’s not so openly spoken blunders and not so green aspect of same.
I believe they ordered them so they could keep up with other airlines... Ceo answers questions well
The A380 was designed and built only to say "mine's bigger than yours." There never was a good business case for the aircraft. Most customers would prefer to take a nonstop flight to their destination. They could fly directly from Orlando to Dublin in just one flight with an A320 or 321. That's better than taking an A320 or 737 to JFK, transfer to an A380 to London, then change planes one more time to reach Dublin. The A350 is absolutely beautiful, more efficient than the A380 (well, yes it is a newer design), and offers better route flexibility.
An aircraft takes years, if not decades, in the making.
You gotta think that the A380 was conceived many years before it came on the market. By the time it arrived, the hub&spoke model was starting to decline mostly for the reasons mentioned in this video.
It was a gamble, a project based on some predictions in terms of market demand that finally only partially came true, and only for a limited period of time.
If the H&S model had proven successful, Airbus would have had a considerable advantage over the competition (mainly Boeing) thanks to this aircraft, and it would've taken them several years to catch up.
Amazing when managers admit they made a “mistake” but they are now making the right decision. 10 years from now will they admit this decision was a “mistake” as well?
The A380 is the most comfortable aircraft that I have ever travelled in, quiet, comfy and stable, no jumping around mid air or funny noises, easy fast boarding and exit as well.
I love A380's. Its spacious, quiet and offers modern comforts without increasing the cost.