Airbus A380 superjumbo to make first visit to Bangkok

By Manager Online 30 November 2006 18:09

November 30, 2006
BANGKOK (AFP) - Airbus announced Thursday that its A380, the world's largest aircraft, will make its first visit to Thailand even as the country's flag carrier is reconsidering its order of the jets.

The French-made superjumbo is due to touch down at Bangkok's new Suvarabhumi airport on December 5, said Kanuwong Phubordin, a spokesman for Airbus' public relations firm in Bangkok.

The surprise visit comes after an around-the-world safety trial which included stops over the past two weeks in Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney.

"Airbus considers it is important to present the A380 to all of its major clients in the Asia-Pacific region before the end of the year," Anthony Phillips, a Singapore-based Airbus spokesman, said in a statement.

He said Airbus was also keen to look into the capabilities and facilities at Bangkok's new international airport, which opened on September 28.

The A380 will stay at Suvarabhumi until December 7 on a visit that aims to boost the image of superjumbo the after delays in production and delivery.

Thai Airways International is considering whether to cancel an order of six A380s, the shipment of which has been postponed by two years.

Of the six ordered, the first three are scheduled for delivery in 2011, delayed from 2009. No delivery date has been set for the remaining three aircraft.

The Bangkok Post newspaper on Thursday quoted Thai Airways' executives as saying they would make their final decision on the A380 orders by February next year.

Thai Airways had planned to use the superjumbos on some of its most popular routes, flying from Bangkok to Frankfurt, London and Tokyo.

Source: http://www.manager.co.th/Home/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9490000147946&Keyword=380

The French-made superjumbo...

Made with "little" help from other European countries. :D

whould be nice to see the A380 with Thai colours

^^ Really ? ,very exciting !!!!!!!

I just got the gemini jets model version its beautiful looking just go to to gemini jets.com and look it up and there are models of the korean air,Fed Ex,Air France,Quantas,and Thai Airways.

http://www.thaiaviation.net/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=a683a1a3a84dbb79e592ae8b163aae65&action=dlattach;topic=487.0;attach=4067;image

http://www.thaiaviation.net/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=a683a1a3a84dbb79e592ae8b163aae65&action=dlattach;topic=487.0;attach=4068;image

http://www.thaiaviation.net/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=a683a1a3a84dbb79e592ae8b163aae65&action=dlattach;topic=487.0;attach=4069;image

for more pics
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=10756790#post10756790

Whoa ! It's so huge. I wanna see it.

^^ thank for pics

WOW! that is one big airplane.

Thai Airways International (THAI), the national carrier, on Wednesday insisted that Airbus compensate it for delays in the scheduled delivery of six A380s at the same level that other airlines receive from the European airplane manufacturer.

"The compensation can't be less than that given to other airlines," said THAI President Apinan Sumanaseni.

THAI and Airbus are currently negotiating the level of compensation the national carrier will receive, but if the talks fail the order of six A380s, Airbus's leviathan aircraft that can carry 555 passengers, may be cancelled.

"Cancellation will come if the negotations fail," Apinan told a press conference at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, where Airbus landed a test A380 on Tuesday.

THAI is one of 15 airlines to have pre-ordered a total of 166 A380s, Airbus's newest and biggest aircraft which has run into considerable production delays.

Other Asian airlines that have ordered A380s include Singapore Airlines (19), Korean Air (5), Malaysia Airlines (6), and China Southern (5). Quantas Airways, a major rival in the region, has ordered 20.

Thai Airways planned to use the A380 on its popular routes from Bangkok to Frankfurt, London and Paris.

"THAI and Airbus have a long relationship," said Airbus Vice President for the Asia Pacific Edourd Ullmo. "There will be compensation but the amount is still under negotiation."

THAI's board of directors is expected to announce the outcome of the compensation negotiations on December 19, Apinan said.

Airbus expects its A380 to be certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency and US Federal Aviation Administration this month, after it successfully competed its route-proving tests for the new aircraft last month.

TG talks with Airbus going smoothly so far
BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA

Negotiations between Thai Airways International and the European plane maker Airbus on compensation for the two-year delivery delay of six A380 superjumbos have so far been mutually acceptable, executives said yesterday. The discussions, expected to be concluded ahead of the Dec 19 THAI board meeting, raised the prospect that the national carrier would not terminate the US$1.7 billion order for six A380s.


''Both parties are satisfied with the negotiations so far,'' THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said. But he quickly noted that ''if the talks are not successful then we need to cancel the orders.''


Mr Apinan said that if the airline could reach a deal with Airbus this week or next week, then the result would be announced at the Dec 19 board meeting.Edourad Ullmo, Airbus's executive vice-president for the Asia Pacific market, expressed optimism yesterday, saying, ''Airbus hopes to be able to finalise the talks (with THAI) in weeks if not days.''


In a press briefing yesterday, Mr Ullmo was apologetic about the A380 delays and asked THAI for forgiveness.


The THAI president said the negotiations revolved around lost business opportunities that may arise from the delays of the megajets. The airline planned to use them on its key long-haul routes.


On THAI flights to Paris, London and Frankfurt, the superjumbos would help the airline overcome time slot restrictions. Congestion at those European airports is expected to prevent airlines from increasing flight frequencies.


The superjumbo, which can carry more than 800 passengers, would allow airlines to meet rising demand for seats without scheduling more flights.


THAI is using the deals Airbus struck earlier with Singapore Airlines and Australia's Qantas as the yardstick for negotiations.


''What we are getting from Airbus will not be less than what SIA and Qantas got,'' Mr Apinan said.