Airline dumps plans for 840-seat 'all economy' Airbus A380
By David Flynn, July 31 2013
The terrifying vision of 840 passengers crammed into an Airbus A380 has receded somewhat, with French carrier Air Austral abandoning plans for two A380s outfitted in an all-economy configuration.
The sardine-mode superjumbo would have nixed first, business and even premium economy cabins in order to maximise the number of passengers from tip to tail.
However, Air Austral's CEO tells APEX's Will Horton that flying A380 without any premium seats would starve the airline of higher-paid passengers who traditionally help subsidise the cheap seats.
“That’s going to affect the profitability, which is already at stake" says Marie-Joseph Malé, who predicts the move would ultimately "endanger the existence of the airline."
Garuda Indonesia recently revealed it's considering a ‘convertible' version of the Airbus A380 – along with the Boeing 747-8I – which could be transformed into all-economy aircraft during off-peak travel seasons.
All business class seats would be temporarily removed and replaced with economy seats, for a maximum capacity as high as 850 seats in the A380.
“Both these aircraft have this ‘quick change’ feature for converting business class into all economy class in two weeks” Garuda Indonesia CEO Emirsyah Satar told Australian Business Traveller earlier this month, adding that “we would order the aircraft with a minimum of two classes” to facilitate the change.
Read: Garuda considering all economy-class Airbus 380, Boeing 747-8I
Supersizing the superjumbo
Airbus is already tempting potential A380 buyers with a 600-seat A380, an increase of 22 percent over the current layout, with the possibility of 11-abreast seating in economy.
Airbus' new floorplan for the 558-seat superjumbo
The new floorplan available to A380 buyers boasts 558 seats spread across a standard three-class configuration of first, business and economy, compared to today’s 490 seats in the same mix.
“You can even go beyond 558 seats if you take away first class and do a two-class layout, and you get another five rows (of economy)” says Christopher Emerson, Airbus’ Senior Vice-President of Marketing.
That would boost the tally to 598 seats for a 22% increase on the standard 490-seat Airbus 380.
Read: Airbus supersizes the A380 superjumbo
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1560
It is temporary - they will came back to an idea, just wait long enough. Also "higher-paid passengers who traditionally help subsidise the cheap seats" phrase is really questionable - I believe that economy actually most profitable seats or may be premium economy. They just cannot find so many passangers as once.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Mar 2012
Total posts 211
great to see Airbus tempting airlines to make air travel even less comfortable for the majority of travellers by talking about 11 abreast seating in the A380, especially as people are getting bigger NOT smaller...but maybe we should blame the airlines for deciding that as people have gotten bigger they actually require LESS space on an aircraft e.g. 9 abreast in Y wouldn't do in the 777 - 9 abreast was apparently way too luxurious and comfortable for their customers and they decided 10 was better.
Virgin Australia - Platinum
21 Dec 2012
Total posts 86
Yeah can anyone comment on that? With Emirates for example ss the extra seat pitch and leg room in Y a good trade off for being 10 abreast?
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