All Nippon Airways is putting on hold plans to buy any new giant aircraft, either Boeing's 747-8 or the Airbus A380 superjumbo, due to the global economic downturn. The purchase plan "will remain on hold until the company deems market conditions conducive to resuming the selection process," said Rob Henderson, a spokesman for ANA, Japan's second largest carrier.
The decision does not affect All Nippon Airways' plans to be the launch customer of Boeing's next-generation Dreamliner.
European consortium Airbus had been pushing hard to win the order since ANA launched the search in July, seeing it as a chance to break into the Japanese market, which is dominated almost entirely by US rival Boeing.
But ANA's president, Mineo Yamamoto, had said in an interview published last week that the company was considering slashing its planned capital investment by as much as one-fifth due to the economic climate.
ANA had reportedly been considering the double-decker A380, which can seat more than 800 passengers, for long-haul routes from Tokyo to New York or London.
ANA had in October revised down its full-year net profit forecasts by one-third, saying the global economic crisis was slowing demand for air travel.
© Wire reports
12 Comments
Login to comment
aoto
i hope they get the a 380 the quietest cabin in the sky. it also is very smooth in flight
Elbuda Mexicano
It would be nice to see some more competion in the air over Japan, how about a European made A380??
YuriOtani
I really dislike flying on Airbus Aircraft. The China Airlines and Emarates 340 models have very hard seats sort of like on a commuter train. I check business and first class and the seats were hard as well!
aoto
yuri otani...your description is wy of the mark I guess you have not seen the first class suites on the a 380. Emirates uses the same seats on their Airbus and boeing planes and are installing new seats with 27 cm screens with 900 channels.
NeoJamal
Those RR engines on SIA's A380s are soooo quiet, some of the coach passengers seated columns D to G didn't realise the aircraft was on a take-off roll or had taken off from the ground until they heard the landing gears winding up.
Sarge
"The decision does not affect ANA's plans to be the launch customer of Boeing's next-generation Dreamliner"
As far as I know, that plane STILL hasn't had a test flight.
"I guess you have not seen the first class suites on a 380"
I never will.
"the double-decker A380, which can seat more than 800 passengers"
That configuration doersn't allow for first class suites. I'd hate to be the last one off that monstrosity.
GW
yuri
the type of seats on airplanes are options dont assume that all aircraft of the same type have the same seats!
NeoJamal
I would've thought, a short range version of the A380 would be the leading replacement choice for the 747-400D that currently serves Japan's high density domestic routes. At MTOW with 2000NM maximum range, I would imagine such an A380 would be able to carry just under 1000 passengers in an all economy configuration.
smithinjapan
Not surprising they're looking at expanding; after all they're ripping us all off with the 'fuel surcharge' that hasn't gone down despite oil being the lowest it's been in years.
Elbuda Mexicano
Hear! Hear! I also hate this rip off "fuel surcharge!" I hope the seats on the new ANA A380 are nice and comfy!
whitepocky
Isn't this just typical of big business.
SuperLib
The fuel surcharge gets reset every 3 months. The next scheduled change is January 1.