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back to article Airbus secures whopping 180 plane deal

Airbus is celebrating the "biggest single order in commercial aviation history" today, having secured a Memorandum of Understanding from Indian operator IndiGo for 180 Airbus A320s. Louis Gallois, chief executive of Airbus parent European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), enthused to the press: "It is the best way …

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  1. Tom_

    Excellent Quote

    "I can't underestimate the size and importance of this deal."

    Might be a bit more impressive if he said he couldn't overestimate it.

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    1. Christoph
      Reply Icon

      Possibly it should have been

      "underemphasize"?

      That would make more sense in the quote

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      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        I'm would have said "over-state" myself

        but I've no idea how to mangle that so badly it becomes "underemphasise". Unless he was being incredibly modest.

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  2. Paul_Murphy

    Umm wrong topic?

    Why is this under Science .. Physics.. - are the numbers (or planes) so large that they will start warping the fabric of the universe?

    I bet this will be moved to Business soon :-)

    ttfn

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    1. Uncle Slacky Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      Boffin

      Even a single plane...

      ...or even a single subatomic particle warps spacetime to some extent.

      Therefore, *everything* should be filed under Physics; everything else is just stamp collecting, after all...

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      1. Thorsten
        Reply Icon
        Flame

        I take your Physics and raise you Math

        It was only when physicists realised that their field is just applied mathematics that they progressed from metaphysics to physics.

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  3. Trollslayer
    Thumb Up

    Nice one!

    Airbus - and by that I mean everyone working there - have earned this.

    I'm not gloating but Boeing's problems with the 787 can't be helping their reputation.

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    1. qwertyuiop
      Reply Icon
      WTF?

      Have you forgotten?

      <cough> Airbus A380 </cough>

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      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        not forgotten

        The Airbus A380 did rather well considering the large number of holes put in it by the Rolls Royce supplied and maintained engine that exploded....

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        1. Anonymous Coward
          Reply Icon
          Anonymous Coward

          @AdamT

          I think the main issue is the long delays and cost overruns suffered by the A380 - IIRC many potential customers god bored waiting and bought 747s instead.

          Same for the 787 - The delay is the problem in securing orders - we will have to wait until it is in service before RR Trent 1000s start blowing big holes in them also.

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        2. Denarius
          Reply Icon
          Black Helicopters

          @AdamT A380

          yes, really good, so long as it did not have to fly for 10 minutes more than it did.

          Dont confuse good luck in timing with good engineering.

          I prefer Boeings over Airbus for one simple reason. Pilot can over-ride stupid computer as a last resort. After decades in IT, I dont trust computers that cant be turned off. Helicopters, well at least they sort of fly.

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          1. Gotno iShit Wantno iShit
            Reply Icon
            Coat

            @Denarius

            You'd be better served simply avoiding new models, be it airframe, engine or both.

            Coat please, I'm off to sit at the bottom of a bathtub curve.

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            1. Intractable Potsherd
              Reply Icon

              I love Airbus...

              ... in principle, but if I had the option between an Airbus and a Boeing, I'd go for the Boeing every time. They just somehow feel better put together - like the difference between a Series Landrover and an Alfa Romeo.

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          2. Anonymous Coward
            Reply Icon
            IT Angle

            @Denarius

            I think you'll find the way embedded control systems are built is a little different to the stuff you're used to in IT. I come from an (analogue) control engineering background and moved into digital systems. My discussions with my 'PC' and 'IT' development cousins three bays down often leave me white with shock.

            AC cause they read the reg as well.

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      2. TeeCee Gold badge
        Reply Icon
        Grenade

        Re: Have you forgotten?

        Not at all. How Boeing must be regretting their crowing over the time/cost overruns of the 380 project as the 787 delivery date continues to slip like an F1 car on an icy track.

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    2. Chris Miller
      Reply Icon
      Coat

      787 is not relevant to this order

      Which is for AB320s, where the Boeing competitor is the 737 (that Boeing has been delivering rather successfully for the last 45 years). The Airbus (approximate) equivalent to the 787 is the 350, yet to take to the skies and facing similar challenges from a very significant proportion of composite construction.

      Mine's the anorak, ta.

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      1. TeeCee Gold badge
        Reply Icon
        Grenade

        Successful 737.

        Er, rudder actuator valves?

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  4. ToddRundgren
    Thumb Up

    Airbus deal

    Stop being pedantic about where it should be filed. It's fantastic news for Airbus including for Bristol and North Wales

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Time To Celebrate Europe

    Instead of *always* bitching about "Brussels Bureaucracy". Bitching is OK, as long as one is being positive on some occasions.

    I also hope the guys in that little town on that island manage to get their coaxial drilling quality issues under control.

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sharklets?

    What a fabulous new word. I plan to use it every day.

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    1. Captain TickTock
      Reply Icon
      Joke

      ...With frickin' laser beams

      ...I hope. Or just bad tempered sea bass

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Construction?

    Perhaps a big enough order to allow EADS to open new construction facilities.

    In, err, India ?

    (Don't really want to put a downer on the deal - just adding an IT angle)

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  8. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Happy

    Celebrations in North Wales?

    I wonder how......

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  9. Alan Firminger

    This is the test for Rolls

    An engine exploding was bad luck.

    But having it explode because of a small fault in a minor component that was repeated on several a/c shows a potentially terminal failure of QC .

    It used to be the case that a passenger looked out of the window and was reassured to see the RR badge on an engine cowling. Not now.

    2 1
  10. caerphoto
    Alert

    Sharklets... with frikkin' laser beams!

    I sense a new avenue of military research opening up...

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  11. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    As long as I don't have to sit in seat 62-m

    How many seats can you stuff into an airplane?

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  12. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    IndiGo

    That's a very simple but clever piece of branding.

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  13. Mips
    Jobs Halo

    Sharklets?

    Back in the 1960s we used to call them speed tips. So there.

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  14. CABVolunteer
    Unhappy

    I'm sad

    What are the implications for that iconic organisation in Indian culture: Indian Railways?

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  15. Robert Hill
    Pirate

    Only a Memorandum....

    So...a huge order, ooops, Memoranda of Understanding with a small carrier that has, at present about 15 aircraft. And few gates and aircraft parking places at India's airports.

    I wouldn't bend my arm out of shape congratulating myself if I were Airbus - it is hugely likely that the actual order paid for and delivered will be MUCH smaller...

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  16. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Where's Lewis?

    Where's Lewis's article explaining why it would have been much more sensible to buy American?

    "actual order paid for and delivered will be MUCH smaller..."

    Surely it's "delivered and paid for?" Or are these things paid for in advance nowadays (might be sensible)?

    Anyway, even if the price of aviation fuel doesn't go through the roof (which of course it will), the size of the alleged order borders on almost infinitely improbable. Cup of tea, anyone?

    "prefer Boeing because ... Pilot can over-ride stupid computer as a last resort. "

    Apart from the one(s) that control the engines. And maybe others I don't know about.

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    1. Robert Hill
      Reply Icon

      Paid for and delivered...

      Aircraft are custom orders - each airline specifies cabin layout, seat choice, colour scheme of interior, etc. You had better believe that they are only done after a HUGE deposit is paid for each plane...

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