AF whalejet returns to JFK

[NIKV69]

http://flightaware.com/live/flight_trac ... rivaltime= (http://flightaware.com/live/flight_track_bigmap.rvt?ident=AFR7-1259280959-8-0&airports=KJFK+KJFK&height=340&width=400&departuretime=1259371020&arrivaltime=)

Source on anet said he heard the AF crew say the AP was out.

[T-Bird76]

Don't you just hate when you buy a new plane and only weeks late it breaks on you?

[Speedbird1]

I noticed that something was wrong because Saturdays' arrival of AFR 6 was 4 hours delayed. Since Air France only has 1 A380, there is no back-up aircraft so if there is a problem on either side of the pond, the other flights will be delayed. Air France should consider a back-up aircraft although the cost would be extreme. Even when they flew the Concorde, they always had a back-up aircraft for emergencies.

[Matt Molnar]

I noticed that something was wrong because Saturdays' arrival of AFR 6 was 4 hours delayed. Since Air France only has 1 A380, there is no back-up aircraft so if there is a problem on either side of the pond, the other flights will be delayed. Air France should consider a back-up aircraft although the cost would be extreme. Even when they flew the Concorde, they always had a back-up aircraft for emergencies.
They have 10 more A380s on order, not sure when the next delivery will be.

[fly.mcs]

I returned from Paris to New York on AFR006 on 27NOV, the flight just before this incident. Thank goodness I wasn't scheduled for AFR006 the following day, departing/arriving in darkness nearly 6 hours late! On my flight, however, a drunken passenger seated right behind me needed medical attention and it was asked for a doctor to come forward. I was afraid we'd divert as well..

[JHNA57]

Saw an AF tail lit up on final to 22L at about 7:40 last night (Saturday). I had a feeling it was a 380 and confirmed it later on Passur. If it was late, what is the scheduled arrival time??

[Matt Molnar]

If it was late, what is the scheduled arrival time??
3:45pm

[fly.mcs]

Saw an AF tail lit up on final to 22L at about 7:40 last night (Saturday). I had a feeling it was a 380 and confirmed it later on Passur. If it was late, what is the scheduled arrival time??

Flight AFR006 is scheduled to arrive 15:45; Saturday's flight arrived at the gate 20:03.

From my understand, flight AFR006 operating as an A380 has never been on-time as of yet!

[fly.mcs]

Looks like she'll be pretty much back on schedule today, with an arrival at 16:20 (35m delay).

[Speedbird1]

What is the approximate cost for Air France to purchase a second A380? Do they ever have sales like they have on Cyber Monday? I am fearful that orders for the new A380 will be like when Concorde started rolling-off the production line in Toulouse and at Filton. All major carriers quickly placed orders then one-by-one, they dropped orders, so only 14 were in service and only Air France and British Airways flew these. Incidentally, Qantas has printed a huge poster featuring their new A380. It was handed-out for free last summer when the Australian Navy allowed tourists on their ships on the Hudson River pier.

[Matt Molnar]

What is the approximate cost for Air France to purchase a second A380? Do they ever have sales like they have on Cyber Monday? I am fearful that orders for the new A380 will be like when Concorde started rolling-off the production line in Toulouse and at Filton. All major carriers quickly placed orders then one-by-one, they dropped orders, so only 14 were in service and only Air France and British Airways flew these.
The list price is US $317.2 to 337.5 million, depending on equipment installed. Air France has 10 A380s on order, with an option to buy two more.

I think we will see some orders dropped but it won't be as bad as Concorde. Emirates, for example, has 50 on order. There is no way they ever needed that many, and now that Dubai is officially broke, I would expect many of those orders to disappear.

[hiss srq]

I never saw a reason why they needed that many 380's to begin with. It will be a very long time before someone wants more jets of that size. Even the Chinese arent flocking for it.