airliners.net/open.file/1005081/L/ I would like to see it as American Airlines or Continental. That would be Crazy
Don’t hold your breath. I’ll be stunned if ANY US carrier buys an A380, unless its real-world performance numbers completely obliterate Airbus’s estimates (on the good side 
). Nah, even then I’d be stunned.
Don’t forget FedEx and UPS.
Maybe, but in a very limited fashion (domestically, anyway), as there are only a handful of US airports that can handle the A380. Plus, I have a feeling these companies are going to take a hard look at more fuel efficient birds before jumping into any larger orders. Those A306s that they both fly (and UPS’s DC-8s) won’t fly forever, and, like passenger airlines, IMO they’ll look to cut costs and streamline their operations w/ more twin-jets, & perhaps a few whales… My $.02. :mrgreen:
While most airports in the US aren’t ready, most of the FX and UPS hubs and main cargo airports are ready. And the A380 isn’t meant to be flown domestically, anyway. It is meant to fly packages from the main hubs to other large international hubs overseas, and back. The A300’s, 757’s, etc, will serve their own role domestically, and DC-10’s and MD-11’s filling in both domestic and some international service.
During the first year of operation, the three FedEx planes will operate on long-range routes between FedEx hubs in Asia and North America. Additional routes from Europe to North America and Europe to Asia will be added as more aircraft are added to the fleet in coming years.
There’s also an A380 FAQ on the FedEx site.
It appears that UPS will be using its A380s for international services also.
All right, guys, I’ll give you FedEx and UPS. Now I’m waiting for the “stun” to set in…
…Nothing.
Damn, I must be getting old. 
All right, here goes: If an American PASSENGER airline places an order for A380, I’ll be stunned, but in an airline-fleet-order-prediction-gone-amuck sort of way…i.e. I’m not gonna bet the farm on it, nor will I $#!+ my pants if it happens. (I DO have a life, y’know–and full bowel control.)
I think Pan Am (the real one, boys and girls, not the fake one of today) would have ordered a few A380s.
If they (Pan Am) were still in existence today, I wouldn’t be surprised if Boeing had also made a larger 747.
(The sound you hear is Juan Trippe rolling over and over in his grave at the mismanagement of his airline by idiots.)
They are…
They in this instance refers to Pan Am, not Boeing!
Regards,
James
JHEM is right - “They” refers to Pan Am. Should have been a little more clear on my statement and I have adjusted it accordingly.
So are you saying that if Pan Am had been around today, the 747-8 would have been made sooner?
Yes.
Pan Am was the first to order the 747 with a fairly large order. Back then, aviation companies were ran by men with balls. Both Pan Am, in ordering it, and Boeing, in building it, bet the farm on the 747.
Unfortunately, when it came time for deliveries, the economy was in a down turn. However, the ensuing 30+ years has proven the 747 to be, like all Boeing 700 series aircraft, a great design.
Anyone know when the 787 Dreamliner is going to be completed?
Production on many components is already underway. Mainframe construction is supposed to begin later this year, maiden flight in '07, first delivery and entry into service in '08. All tentative, of course.
Ok thanks for that info. Im interested in seeing it fly. I have already seen a few pics/drawings on the internet.
hmmm, i’m not that big of fan of the A380, i reckon its a bit on the too big side, i reckon it would be great for cargo, but would it be great to fly passengers around, not to say i wouldn’t mind flying one for qantas
Here is the A-380 order list. Few U.S. carriers!
The problem with a Wikipedia article is that it’s not current and doesn’t reflect current news. In this case, the article is dated April 6, 2006.
A Google news search can find an article dated June 25, 2006 from the London Observor, which is headlined “Dogfight that could bring down Airbus”. It reports that “political infighting at parent company EADS could wreck the project - and bring down the French government.”
Current information comes from today’s newspapers, not a 6-week-old Wikipedia article.