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Airlines Airbus A300s in the early 1980s when Qantas. That flight is operating at 92 percent full and in the premium
regulators extended the diversion time to 90 cabin, 94 percent full. Sure, it is just one flight, but it is the start of
minutes. Next twin-jets could cross the Atlantic an avalanche of ultra-long-range non-stop services by more nimble
as the diversion time went out to 120 minutes. aircraft. And soon Qantas – and others, including Emirates – will
Over the next 20 years, the diversion time to an have aircraft that can operate from Sydney to London nonstop with
alternate airport slowly increased to 240-min- an economical payload – way beyond the capability of the A380.
utes as engines became more reliable freeing Since the Boeing 787 entered service the aircraft has opened
airlines to cross the Pacific. Now it’s 350 min- up 240 new routes and new ones are added almost weekly. And
utes enabling airlines to cross the South Pole whereas the A380 comes in one size there are three different
if they desire – none has thus far. models of the 787 with some airlines having all three in their fleets.

The New Paradigm Changing Preferences
The next dynamic to change has been seat The inability of Airbus and Emirates to interest other airlines in the
kilometer costs. For decades a reduction in A380neo or a stretched variant consigned the program to closure.
seat kilometer costs required bigger aircraft but At the outset Airbus built the A380’s massive wing for a stretch
the trade-off was that the trip costs – aircraft, and that fact hinders the economics of the base model. And over
crew, fuel – cost were higher. When the 787 the past 20 years since the A380 was launched engine technol-
entered service that all changed because of its ogy has made massive strides and we have seen the emergence
engine’s efficiency and super light but incredi- of the all composite aircraft in the 787, A350 and the 777X with a
bly strong composite structure and wing. The composite wing.
787 offered the lowest trip and seat kilometer
costs of all long-haul aircraft resulting in Boeing The 777X promises a 40 per cent fuel burn per passengers saving
building the jet at 14 a month to keep up with over the A380. However, the A380s’s staunches supporter – and
demand, while Airbus are building its A350 at ironically the man behind the 777X – Sir Tim Clark says many air-
10 a month. By comparison, the Airbus A380 is lines have not used the A380 correctly. In a 2016 interview Clark
now being built at around 6 a year. For Emirates, said that the “A380 is a passenger magnet” and the airline’s flights
the writing has been on the wall for some time. were 95 per cent full.” “Airlines are too conservative and have not
put the right interiors into their A380s. Some of the interiors are a
Every night at around 1 AM, a Qantas Boeing disgrace and use 1970s thinking,” said Clark.
787-9 operating from Perth to London non-stop
overflies Dubai at 11,000 m at 900km/hour with “We put all our premium seats on the upper deck and economy on
passengers that were once being carried on its the main deck, but others have mixed them which is inefficient. Our
A380 via Dubai on a code-share with partner competitors laughed at us when we put showers and a lounge in the

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