Spurned by airlines, first A380s to be stripped for parts
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 IST
A German investment company said on Tuesday it would strip two unwanted Airbus A380 superjumbo passenger jets for parts after failing to find an airline willing to keep them flying following a decision by Singapore Airlines to return them to their owner.
A German investment company said on Tuesday it would strip two unwanted Airbus A380 superjumbo passenger jets for parts after failing to find an airline willing to keep them flying following a decision by Singapore Airlines to return them to their owner. The decision by Dortmund-based Dr Peters Group deals a fresh blow to the European planemaker’s efforts to maintain market interest in the double-decker jet, barely 10 years after it went into service, hailed by politicians as a proud European symbol. Airbus had no immediate comment. Despite its ample space and excellent reviews for a quiet cabin, demand for the 544-seat jet has crumbled as airlines ditch the industry’s largest four-engined aircraft in favour of smaller but ultra-efficient twin-engined models.
Singapore Airlines launched A380 services in December 2007, but returned the first two aircraft to their German financiers some 10 years later after deciding not to extend their lease. The two discarded aircraft were flown to Tarbes in the French Pyrenees to be stored, and since then their fate has been uncertain as their owner looked in vain for other takers.
“After extensive as well as intensive negotiations with various airlines such as British Airways, HiFly and IranAir, Dr Peters Group has decided to sell the aircraft components and will recommend this approach to its investors,” the company said in a statement emailed to Reuters. The planes will not be scrapped entirely, but their huge frames will be combed for valuable components such as landing gears and electronics, a Dr Peters official told Reuters.
Their engines are still useful and have been leased back to their manufacturer Rolls-Royce for use as spares. Dr Peters aims to extend this arrangement, the official added. U.S. company VAS Aero Services will be responsible for extracting and selling parts, but will do so in Tarbes. Dr Peters said the deal would yield a positive result for equity investors in the jets. It operates a number of boutique funds said to be targeted at well-off German retail investors.
The planes now in the mortuary are not typical of models in service, experts caution. Early examples of a new type tend to be less efficient and Singapore Airlines recently ordered some new A380s. However, overall demand is thin and Airbus recently agreed to cut production while renewing a search for new buyers.
Related Topics
Trending News & Articles
While the Uttarakhand High Court has asked to block 857 websites, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) found 30 portals without any pornographic content.
...
Recently posted . 64K views . 1 min read
The four boys as well as five school officials, including the director and principal, were arrested after the incident. The minors were presented before the Juvenil...
Recently posted . 9K views . 1 min read
Rahul was having an Italian passport and was carrying suitcase full of dollars. Some say it was about was it $2 million.
Rahul and his girl friend was th...
Recently posted . 9K views . 7 min read
True – Tr...
Recently posted . 8K views . 83 min read
More in National
Just a week before he appeared for his Prelims, Saurabh Bhawania became a father. He did not miss his son’s vaccination and special moments nor did he comprom...
Recently posted. 917 views . 1 min read
In the process, one vital question has been left to blow forlornly in the wind: why and how did Pulwama happen?
Recently posted. 588 views . 0 min read
As many as six such 'Ulta Chaatas' which are canopies shaped like inverted umbrellas with solar panels fitted on top, have been installed at the Guntakal ra...
Recently posted. 1K views . 1 min read
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 1K views . 48 min read
Recently posted . 3K views . 87 min read
New Delhi: Sixteen states in the country have high uranium content in ground water which is above the World Health Organisation prescribed norms,...
Recently posted. 657 views . 2 min read
The Pew Research Centre suddenly found itself catapulted into the partisan electoral politics of India with its latest survey on Indian publ...
Recently posted. 939 views . 2 min read