COMMENTARY: Battle of the Jumbos
By Dale McFeattersScripps Howard News Service
We're not chauvinists here -- internationalism, free trade, fair competition, let the best team win and all that. And we're above taking delight in others' setbacks. Better luck next time, old chap; that sort of thing.
That said, we note that European plane maker Airbus has pushed back the delivery date of its massive A380 another year and that the first of the 555-seat superjumbos will not go into service until next October.
That puts the plane two full years behind schedule at a cost to the parent company, the European consortium EADS, of about $3.6 billion. And the plane will not enter full production for at least another four years. Now several major carriers are said to be rethinking their orders.
Boeing and Airbus have been swapping the honor of world's largest aircraft manufacturer, and Airbus seemed close to holding that honor permanently -- until the A380 ran into production difficulties. Now Boeing is poised to retake the lead.
Be honest: Don't you think of aviation as America's thing? Wilbur and Orville Wright. Kitty Hawk. And while intellectually we acknowledge that Britain, France, Germany and Italy contributed mightily to the growth of aviation, in your heart don't you think what Europe mainly contributed was a place for Lindbergh to land?
Boeing is synonymous with jet passenger travel. The 707 put Europe within reach of the average family, and the 747 jumbo jet is simply one of the great passenger planes of all time.
The Airbus stumble gives Boeing a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor with its new 787 Dreamliner, an all-purpose, long-haul passenger jet that is cheaper to buy, cheaper to operate and, unlike the A380, needs no special accommodation at airports.
Meanwhile, Boeing is building the 747-8, a stretch version of its venerable jumbo. The passenger 747-8 will seat 450, more than a hundred fewer than the A380, but, hey, this plane has a proven track record, OK?
Well, maybe a little chauvinism. Maybe a little delight, too.
Contact Dale McFeatters at McFeattersD@SHNS.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com