Airbus remains positive that a viable second-hand market for the Airbus A380 will be created, Cathal Kyle, head of customer finance Europe and Asia told delegates at the Doric Aviation Investors’ Day in Frankfurt on 25 April.
The manufacturer sees potential among African, Chinese and the larger operators in the Middle East being open to taking older A380s, Kyle said.
Hajj operators and Latin American carriers are also potentially viable secondary A380 operators, Kyle adds.
At the moment, Hajj flights seem to promise the immediate secondary market solution for the A380.
After having trouble remarketing its six A380s, Malaysia Airlines has decided to hive its six-strong A380 fleet off into a separate carrier that will specialise in Hajj and Umrah services.
The aircraft will have a configuration of around 700 all-economy seats, a sharp increase from its current 496. The move came after MAS was unable to dispose of its A380s on the secondary market through sale or lease deals.
However, North American airlines are currently showing little interest in taking on the A380, a financial source told FlightGlobal on the sidelines of the event.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
