Feature: airbus v boeing
Like prize fighters, aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing are going toe to toe to win market share in the commercial aviation market. Colin Ellson reports
private suites in first class on its A380s, and in business class provides fully-flat beds incorporating a back massager and privacy screen. In addition, business passengers can relax in a lounge area with a big sofa and self- service bar. More than 70 A380s have entered service in
the past five years, with a number of airlines flying the aircraft on both long-haul and short- haul high-density routes. Malaysia Airlines is one of the latest to join
the fray, launching non-stop London-Kuala Lumpur flights, three times weekly, on A380s from July 1 and daily from August 1. On-board facilities include a fully flat bed, and ‘Chef on Call’, allowing business class passengers to
The company has 860 orders for the B787,
with Japan Airlines due to launch commercial flights between Tokyo and Boston towards the end of April. Onboard facilities include a bar area. Other customers include Qatar Airways, which has 30 aircraft on order, with options on a further 30. Qatar plans to launch flights between Heathrow and Doha this summer. Also in line for delivery are Air New Zealand, Aeroflot, Air Canada, Air India, British Airways, Delta, Jet Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Orders for the A380 and B787 make excellent reading in the Toulouse and Seattle board rooms. But there have been clouds in the otherwise clear skies. Airbus and Boeing –
The B787 as presented by All Nippon Airlines (ANA)
pre-order their choice of gourmet meals. By comparison, the Boeing 787, with a similar range to the A380, is a newcomer, first flown by ANA All Nippon Airlines between Frankfurt and Narita in January this year. The A380 and B787 represent the manufacturers’ different approaches to the market. Airbus is a proponent of hub and spoke operations, Boeing supports direct point-to-point flights, flying passengers where they want to go without intermediate stops. The B787 has been designed with this in
which includes 14 private suites with fully-flat beds, work desks, wardrobes and mini bars, while there are two shower spas. The airline’s business class also offers lie-flat
beds, housed in a shell with mini bar, privacy panel, large personal table, stowage space and dual USB ports. Executive passengers also have access to a lounge on the upper deck at the rear of the aircraft, with a fully-stocked bar, hot and cold canapés service and two sofas. Qantas also has all-singing, all-dancing
mind and offers a very different take on the flying experience. Boeing’s strategy has been to deliver economies of scale through technological innovation, making the most of new, fuel- efficient twin engines and concentrating on comfort rather than perks. So the B787 has more standing headroom
than usual, larger windows and bathrooms, and higher cabin humidity for between 210 and 250 passengers.
and their customers – have suffered from production delays, due to the inability of cash- strapped contractors to complete supplies of components. And both admit their schedules fell behind partly because they began production of the A380 and B787 before their designs and manufacturing systems were sufficiently mature. A further setback for the Toulouse-based manufacturer was the threat by Hong Kong Airlines in March this year to cancel orders for 10 A380s, in protest at the European Union’s decision to make all flights into European airports pay for their carbon emissions. A warning there, perhaps, for legislators who have failed to balance environmental concerns against commercial imperatives. The giant rivals will, no doubt, be forced to include politics as well as production issues in their efforts to deliver a knock-out blow in the marketing battle. That said, will size prove to be all important or small and perfectly formed claim the day? •
www.onboardhospitality.com 27
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