Air France Qatar Airways Asiana Airlines China Southern Portugal's HiFly became the first airline to operate a second-hand A when it took delivery of an ex-Singapore Airlines jet in the summer of It's painted to look like a sea turtle. Emirates accounts for of the of the As ever ordered. Emirates is a predominantly long-haul international airline whose business is built around funneling millions of passengers through its palatial central hub in Dubai and then on to destinations around the world.
As a result, Emirates needs an aircraft that can carry a lot of passengers for very long distances — a perfect job for the A But few airlines use Emirates' strategy. These days, the trend in the industry is to offer direct flights using smaller long-range aircraft. Instead of Emirates' dedicated hub-and-spoke route model, most airlines have moved towards more point-to-point flying. This has allowed smaller, more efficient twinjets like the Boeing Smaller next-generation composite wide-bodies like the Boeing Dreamliner offer airlines more flexibility and less risk.
As a result, the A never developed into a true workhorse like the Instead, it has been relegated to a niche aircraft economically feasible only on routes with heavy airport congestion. Boeing has similarly all but given up on the as a passenger jet, which will end production in With early production As coming to the end of their year leases, Airbus will likely have to contend with competition for its own used planes.
However, early signs for the second-hand market aren't promising. German investment firm Dr. Peters Group has decided to sell its off-lease As for spare parts after it couldn't find any takers for the plane. Emirates Airline president, Sir Tim Clark, has for years pushed Airbus to make a more cost-effective version of the plane with upgraded aerodynamics and a new fuel-efficient engine called the Aneo. That hasn't happened.
Airbus has been reluctant to invest the kind of money needed to develop a new version of the A In , Airbus offered its customers a moderately updated version of the plane, called the A Plus, with room for 80 more people and new winglets for better fuel economy.
So far, there have been no takers. Unlike with the Boeing , the A freighter never came to fruition, so Airbus won't be able to subsist on sales of a cargo variant while it waits for passenger-plane sales to rebound. In January , Emirates ordered 20 additional As that would have kept the A production line moving for the next decade.
However, that deal fell apart. In the end, even the A's most loyal customer couldn't hold on any longer. Emirates cut 39 As from its original order of planes and bought smaller twin-engine Airbus Aneos and As instead.
In , Singapore Airlines became the first airline to retire an A, the first of five to be taken out of service. Once assembly is complete, the plane can be towed outside to begin a series of mandatory checks before its first flight.
Tests are conducted on the electrical and hydraulic systems, landing gear, fuel tank for leaks , and more. Once the plane has completed its test flights, it makes its way into the paint shop to receive its distinct livery although the tail does come painted.
This means As will remain a sight at Toulouse for at least a year more. Currently, six more As are pending for delivery, all destined for Emirates. While the A era may be coming to an end sooner than we hoped, more innovations are coming to aviation. For now, we should take every chance to we can get to fly the remaining As before they are gone!
What do you think about the future of the A? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Lead Journalist - India - Pranjal is an experienced journalist with a strong focus on Indian aviation. His background in political science and economics gives him unique insight into issues surrounding international travel and governmental regulations.
News News See all. What to Expect at Dubai Airshow ? November 1, Reviews See all. As a result, cabin personnel benefit from familiarity of aspects on different Airbus aircraft, while aircraft maintenance is streamlined by the high interchangeability of systems and parts.
The A is reputed for low noise emissions. The A is highly compatible with existing airport infrastructure, allowing for smooth airline operations and services for passengers. It is designed to reduce time at the gate during critical stages for airlines: boarding and deboarding passengers and resupplying the galleys for the next flight.
The A shares many key characteristics with smaller widebody aircraft, which means carriers can perform scheduled operations from Code E airport gates with minimal changes to infrastructure and ground handling equipment. Its superior cabin architecture allows airlines to quickly board and disembark passengers — even without direct upper deck boarding access, and to optimize catering time, which is performed at the upper and main deck simultaneously for shorter turnarounds.
Ground servicing equipment has been in service since the aircraft began commercial flights, and is compatible with other widebody aircraft. Upper deck boarding provides an additional possibility to offer passengers customised services. Close close Search search.
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