Who is number 4 to get the A380?

[Nigel C]

As the title says.....

[phil.l]

Malaysian ?

[Andrew McLaughlin]

It's either Lufthansa or Air France

[Blake Riley]

http://www.planespotters.net/Production_List/Airbus/A380/index.html

website has the production list for A380 it also says 4th is malaysia airlines

[Daniel K]

this may be a silly question but why do airbus have so many themselves....are they demos or something

[Rhys Xanthis]

this may be a silly question but why do airbus have so many themselves....are they demos or something

Test bodies.

From my understanding the first 6 or so of a type are manufactured for testing (both on the ground and in the air). Usually each airframe takes a different part of the systems critical to the airplane (loads, stressing of the airframe, hydraulic systems etc).

[Malcolm Parker]

this may be a silly question but why do airbus have so many themselves....are they demos or something

Etihad...are they supposed to be still taking a few of the test aircraft once configured. Around 2010 I believed was it not or are they destined for somebody else now?

[Daniel K]

ok makes sense thanks:)

[Brian Wilkes]

Theres been a THAI A380 painted up and the shop for re-wire?

[Ash W]

this may be a silly question but why do airbus have so many themselves....are they demos or something

They were used in the certification process. Some of them have been sold to airlines, so will be fitted with passenger cabins to the airlines specs. Airbus will keep 2 or 3 of them I beleive.

[Andrew McLaughlin]

They were used in the certification process. Some of them have been sold to airlines, so will be fitted with passenger cabins to the airlines specs. Airbus will keep 2 or 3 of them I beleive.

Airbus will keep one, the others will be refurbed for airline use, although not by Etihad who cancelled their order for the refurbs and instead ordered new jets. I think the EA engined prototype will go to Emirates.

[Brenden S]

Now if QF are supposed to have 3 by the end of Jan next year that means that there should be
Emirates get EDB, C, E
SQ get SKG,H
MAS get their 1st one
and QF OQB,C
So thats 8 aircraft in really 2.5 months

[Erik H. Bakke]

Didn't MH seek to defer the delivery of their A380s due to financial difficulties some years ago?

[Nick W.]

Airbus will keep one, the others will be refurbed for airline use, although not by Etihad who cancelled their order for the refurbs and instead ordered new jets. I think the EA engined prototype will go to Emirates.

Great A380 edition this month, Andrew! It's keeping me away from the HSC books, loving it!

[Andrew McLaughlin]

Great A380 edition this month, Andrew! It's keeping me away from the HSC books, loving it!

Thanks Nick - it was a biggie!!!

[Ash W]

Now if QF are supposed to have 3 by the end of Jan next year that means that there should be
Emirates get EDB, C, E
SQ get SKG,H
MAS get their 1st one
and QF OQB,C
So thats 8 aircraft in really 2.5 months

Wonder how many of those 8 are aircraft that are coming off the re-fit line rather than pure new builds like OQA?

[Dave Powell]

Wonder how many of those 8 are aircraft that are coming off the re-fit line rather than pure new builds like OQA?

I think they're all new build aircraft - the refits are not scheduled for delivery for a while. It's not likely that MAS will get one this year - none of their originally allocated airframes have flown yet. I am hearing that these frames will be reallocated with MAS not taking delivery of any A380's until 2011

cheers

Dave