Japan is high density as any part
of the world's mega population. It stands reason an airline who has courted
Boeing for so many years would dabble with the A380 as a stop gap-loosening for its high density routes within ANA's reach.
The
purported pending order is for three giant A380s. Airport congestion is in play
for ANA. One A380 airport slot can eliminate having several airport slots for
moving traffic. However, where will the A380's land. The US, Europe and
Southeast Asia are the obvious destinations. The 747 is fading and the A380 is
the newest design sinking over the 747-8i. The Boeing 747 aircraft just doesn't move
enough people in and out of Haneda using only one airport slot. The 777-9X isn't ready
nor does it have an immediate production slot for ANA's purchasing timing for having a quantity people mover other than heir apparent A380.
Not
saying that A380 is a superior aircraft over the Boeing suite of aircraft, but
it is an option for meeting current needs and growth plans for ANA. Ordering
three A380's solves several issues in a one type buy where current Boeing types could cover those ANA issues. As mentioned at the top, ANA needs a congestion buster even
as the A380 is also a congestion maker on the ground. ANA is keeping an airport slot while moving 550
passengers in and out using its current available Haneda positions makes some sense. Even
though the A380 will congest the airport landing 550 people at one gate, where it then becomes an airport problem not a
ANA problem.
Grasping
at straws is a strategy. The Airbus A380 ANA grasp goes only so far in a fleet
family. I would be concerned for Boeing if they ordered as many as Qantas did before they discovered another way, and started buying 787-9's as part of
its flexible move in the market. The operational inflexibility of the A380 is a stop gap
measure for relieving only one part of ANA's airline's problems when moving passengers.
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