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Industry promises support to A380 after production ends
March 22nd 2019
ANA is last new airline to take delivery of an A380. Read More »
All Nippon Airways became the 14th and last new airline to take delivery of an A380. Its first delivery on 20 March was after Airbus’ February announcement to cease A380 production in 2021.
While airframers have a long history supporting aircraft well after production ends, being the final new operator of the world’s largest passenger aircraft weighed on ANA Holdings President and CEO Shinya Katanozaka.
Speaking in Toulouse, Katanozaka said Airbus CEO Tom Enders and successor Guillaume Faury had given him assurance Airbus would support ANA’s A380s for the duration of the aircraft's life.
Katanozaka was in a jovial mood and delivered a speech in English, concluding with a joke that Airbus has promised life-long support to ANA’s A380s, which are painted with sea turtles. Katanozaka said sea turtles are mythically believed to live up to 10,000 years – and he expects ANA’s flying sea turtles to live just as long.
ANA will receive a second A380 in coming months and a third in 2020. They are powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 900, which is not used on any other aircraft type. Rolls-Royce President Chris Cholerton also pledged support well after A380 production ends, and joked that instead of offering Rolls-Royce TotalCare, it will offer TurtleCare.
Engine Alliance has separately committed to supporting its powerplant for the A380.
The last time Airbus delivered an airline its first A380 was to Etihad in December 2014. All subsequent A380 deliveries were to existing operators.
