Passengers still keen to fly A380 despite glitches

Qantas says that its superjumbos are doing well compared with the Boeing 747-400 when it was new. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Qantas says technical glitches with its fleet of Airbus A380s haven't dented demand for seats on the world's biggest commercial aircraft.

"They are really good machines and the public love them," said Lyell Strambi, 51, group executive of operations at Sydney-based Qantas.. The carrier was getting more demand for A380 seats, he said.

Qantas, one of only four airlines flying the superjumbo, said teething problems for a new plane were not unusual, and the A380 compared favourably with the introduction of the Boeing 747-400 about 20 years ago.

Last week, a Melbourne to Los Angeles flight was delayed 24 hours because of a faulty fuel indicator, leaving passengers stranded on board for five hours before they could disembark.

"When it works, it's got a lot more that works," said Peter Harbison, executive chairman at Sydney-based industry consultant Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.

"It's one of a kind and really the number of glitches are relatively small," said Harbison, who has flown on at least three A380s.

Qantas is deploying its six A380s on long-haul routes, such as Australia to Europe or North America. With many of those services landing at the world's busiest airports, delays in taking off may mean they lose their designated arrival slot.

None of the problems experienced so far had jeopardised safety on its flights, Strambi said. Qantas had not had a fatal jet accident.

Qantas isn't alone in experiencing faults with the A380. Last month, a Singapore Airlines jet returned to Paris after two hours following a cut in the power supply to on-board kitchen facilities. Air France endured two malfunctions on its only A380 within the space of a fortnight.

This month, Emirates, the A380's biggest customer, delayed by several hours a South Korea to Dubai flight after fuel system glitches.

Any cancelled service means airlines have to put customers up in hotels or shuttle them home for another flight. Airbus pays for modifications that are needed under warranty.

Problems with the A380 got more publicity because passengers were actively seeking to book flights on them, Strambi said. The double-decker plane includes luxuries such as private cabins in first class that are a magnet for premium travellers.

When the plane entered service in October 2007, it was two years late and US$6 billion over its original US$12 billion budget.

Still, disruptions to the first A380 services were not as bad as for the Boeing 747-400, said Hans Weber, president of Tecop International, a San Diego-based aerospace consulting company.

The dispatch reliability of the A380 is about 97.5 per cent now while that for 747-400 when it was introduced was below 90 per cent, he said.

The Boeing 747-400 had its first flight in 1988 and it entered service in 1989 with Northwest Airlines as what was then the world's largest passenger aircraft.

"Today it's touted as a wonderful plane, but it took a couple of years," Weber said.

Airbus is marketing the A380 as a means to link global hubs with a plane that typically seats 525 and can accommodate more than 800 people, with fuel savings of as much as 20 per cent over smaller models.

Chicago-based Boeing has chosen a different strategy with its 787 Dreamliner, betting airlines will want more flexibility connecting smaller airports around the world.

Airbus has won 200 orders for the aircraft, and aims to deliver about 20 jets to airlines this year, including new clients such as Deutsche Lufthansa.

- BLOOMBERG