Originally posted by: Genx87
I think in the end, the airlines will decide who is the victor. Boeing will only have one new plane in the near future; the 7E7. Airbus will have the 350 and the 380. The 380 looks awefully attractive compared to the 747's aged look and design.
BTW, Boeing already has serious competition with Airbus. In fact, if the 7E7 doesn't work out, they will quickly find themselves in trouble because their only remaining money-maker (the 747) is going to get worked by the 380.
It really depends on the route you will be running these babies on. Most trans-atlantic and pacific routes are using 767s which hold ~250 people. Boening is going with the 7E7 to push the envelope of speed over capacity. Instead of a 550 passenger plane they will put out a plane that does .98 mach and gets you across the ocean quicker. In todays market it is something that will probably flourish. But with the emergence of China and India as world economic players. You may start seeing the sweet spot of 250 passengers swell much higher. Then the A380 will become a popular design.
One issue with the A380 is its weight. Many airports do no have runways long enough and strong enough to handle a plane of this size with any kind of volume.
The 747 is mothballed in favor of the 777 which can if configured hold upto 450-500 people but only requires 2 engines vs 4.
I am honestly going to have to say I would be surprised if Boenings money maker was the 747. I would think it was something like the 767 or 737. 737 is the most popular aircraft around the world for medium ranged routes. Entire airlines are based on the 737 design.
I am a little disappointed with the A380. I was really expecting this gigantic aircraft. It looks like a 747 with the upper cabin extended.
