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
Related News & Articles
Some truths about the Universe and our experience in it seem immutable. The sky is up. Gravity sucks. Nothing can travel faster than light. Multicellular life nee...
Recently posted . 679 views . 2 min read
Many people mistake the term “life partner” for “soul mate”. Although both terms seem similar, they have a different meaning.
Recently posted . 666 views . 1 min read
On filing a complaint, the woman learnt from the staff members that two cleaning lines were linked to the coffee machine.
Recently posted . 802 views . 1 min read
The Indian rupee is now acceptable as currency for shopping in Dubai's duty-free airports.
Recently posted . 697 views . 1 min read
Remember that episode in Friends when Ross gives a beginner’s lesson to Chandler on what one can steal from a hotel room?
Recently posted . 728 views . 1 min read
Trending News & Articles
ALMATY: Hour upon hour, day upon day, Omir Bekali and other detainees in far western China's new indoctrination camps had to disavow the...
Recently posted . 206K views . 1 min read
If you have payed attention to the belly buttons of people on the beach or the members of your family, you have probably noticed that they have different shapes and...
Recently posted . 10K views . 2 min read
The Langya henipavirus has a place with a similar group of infections, including Nipah, which is known to kill up to 3/4 of people in extreme cases.
Recently posted . 5K views . 1 min read
Queen's death: The eldest of her four children, Charles, Prince of Wales, who at 73 was the oldest heir apparent in British history, became king immediately...
Recently posted . 5K views . 1 min read
More in National
WASHINGTON: A new form of hostility and warfare appears to be surfacing in the world with the Trump administration on Tuesday sounding an alarm a...
Recently posted. 793 views . 2 min read
The Supreme Court will get two new judges, traders in Old Delhi complain about hackers blackmailing them, and a Pakistan TV news anchor make...
Recently posted. 800 views . 1 min read
Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China, qualifies as the greatest mass murderer in world history, an expert who had unprecedented access to offic...
Recently posted. 737 views . 1 min read
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 943 views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 5K views
Recently posted . 3K views . 52 min read
Recently posted . 3K views . 67 min read
Every month, local entrepreneurs in my city get together and share their business experiences. During one such monthly meetup, one of the business owners asked the ...
Recently posted. 986 views . 1 min read
Once generations of young people learned to tidy up and keep their room in order when they were called to do their military service.
Recently posted. 759 views . 0 min read