Nothing like a US$445.6 million mistake to make a CEO cry in his coffee.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said, the Airbus A380, one of the
most expensive and lavish airplanes ever built has no
future in the company’s fleet.
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And in today's video, we are going to discuss “Qatar Airways CEO:
The Airbus A380 Was Our Biggest Mistake.”
So without any further ado, Let's begin.
The Gulf carrier is intent on rectifying that mistake, with half of the A380 fleet already
retired while a superjumbo-sized question mark remains hanging over the remainder:
in May 2020 Al Baker admitted the A380s "will not return for at least a year, and maybe
never."
Qatar is currently facing significant limitations to its fleet capacity as
a result of the recent grounding of 19 of its Airbus A350 fleet due to an accelerated
surface degradation condition impacting the surface
of the aircraft below the paint, as mandated by Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA).
Qatar Airways CEO said it is heavily relying on more fuel-efficient aircraft, such as
Airbus A350s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Currently, the air carrier has a total of 53 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and 47 Dreamliners.
However, while talking about the future of the airline's sustainability plans, Qatar
Airways said that it would change its Airbus A350s and
Boeing 787 Dreamliners if “Boeing and Airbus introduced
new generation aircraft”, which would be more fuel-efficient with a low emission
footprint.
“Qatar Airways heavily invests in aircraft that have lower emissions.
We don’t let the average aircraft age exceed 10 years,” Al Baker
said.
Qatar originally ordered the A380 in 2001, becoming the ninth customer with a small order
for two of the huge aircraft.
It ordered three more during the 2007 Paris Air Show and a
further five at the 2011 Dubai Air Show.
The aircraft boasts a flight deck incorporating the latest advances in technology for displays,
flight management systems, and navigation.
Passenger inflight entertainment systems were also considered among the best in the
business.
Seats were generally comfortable, compared to sardine-can seating on Boeing
aircraft, and washrooms were well designed.
“The biggest mistake we made was the purchase of Airbus A380s,” Al Baker said while speaking
at the Simple Flying live webinar, adding that the double-decker does more damage
than benefits both Qatar Airways and the environment.
“We grounded the A380s simply because it is not
a fuel-efficient airplane,” Al Baker added.
It's a noticeable shift in tone from September 2014 when
taking delivery of the airline's first superjumbo, Al Baker said "the arrival of the A380 opens
a new chapter in the unparalleled, signature service
we provide to travelers on board with Qatar Airways."
Instead, as with many other airlines around the world, Qatar Airways is now reshaping
its future fleet around modern fuel-efficient twin-engine
jets such as the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787,
with the Boeing 777X also expected to enter the picture in 2022-2023.
As previously and exclusively reported by Executive Traveller, Qatar's Boeing 777-9
fleet will largely top out at business class with an evolved version of the airline's Qsuite,
with an "exclusive" first-class cabin under consideration for a handful of
jets on premium routes such as London and Paris.
“We are studying the possibility of having a very
exclusive first-class cabin of just four seats, for example.
One of Qatar Airways’ greatest assets is our highly flexible fleet of diverse aircraft.”
Al Baker revealed to Executive Traveller, describing it as a deliberately “very niche
product” aimed at well-heeled Qatari travelers.
“Looking forward, we remain committed to finding alternative solutions to support
customer demand and maintain the highest levels of sustainability
and customer experience for our passengers.
We continue to strongly urge Airbus to prioritize
their investigations into the conclusive root cause of the issue affecting the A350 aircraft
type, and ensure it proposes a permanent solution at the earliest opportunity to repair the
damage and correct the underlying root cause.”
Al Baker said.
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