A Rajdhani on wings?

Mumbai: Airbus, after plugging its giant A380s for long-distance hauls, now claims that its all-economy 850-seat version could work out cheaper than the Rajdhani Express, middle-class Metro India’s favourite mode of travel. It says carriers, including foreign airlines, are interested.
The economics, the company believes, could fit the two- to three-hour flights that connect India’s big cities.
Sources said Air Deccan chief G.R. Gopinath, who was on an A380 test flight from France, was studying the possibility of pitting an A380 against the Rajdhani.
His company has been facing mounting losses after having revolutionised cheap air travel in India.
Boeing, which is working on a rival fuel-efficient series — the 787 Dreamliner — hasn’t yet spoken about using it on shorter routes. But analysts believe that its rivalry with Airbus may lead it to explore this option.
Analysts say bigger planes like the A380 and the B787 would mean more passengers on fewer flights, reducing the congestion.
Of course, Airbus will be able to deliver these planes only by 2012 even if an order is placed right now. And Boeing is still assembling its Dreamliner.
09/05/07 Jayanta Roychowdhury/The Telegraph

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Categories: New May 2007