Airbus to upgrade A380 superjumbo to boost salesJune 16, 2017 - 18:16 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Europe's Airbus plans to upgrade its A380 superjumbo with fuel-saving wingtip devices, or winglets, in an effort to boost slow sales of the mammoth jet, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday, June 16, according to Reuters. The latest modifications to the world's largest airliner will be announced at next week's Paris Airshow, they said, proceeding with a program of efficiency improvements first reported by Reuters in March. "We have always said the A380 has further efficiency upside potential," an Airbus spokesman said, declining further comment. The A380 has suffered a dearth of sales as airlines switch to slightly smaller models with two engines, which are easier to fill and cheaper to maintain. The project to make the double-decker A380 more attractive to buyers has already led to the scrapping of its "grand staircase" in favor of a more compact structure, leaving more room for seats. The combination of the improved aerodynamic wing performance and increased seating to more than 600 would lower the operating cost per seat, a key barometer for airlines. Airbus Chief Operating Officer Fabrice Bregier confirmed last week that Airbus was considering improving the A380 with winglets to make it cheaper to fly. Such devices cut fuel consumption by reducing drag, but they can involve a weight penalty because the wing may have to be strengthened. Industry sources have estimated that the overall makeover would improve fuel efficiency by about 2 percent. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Russia warns Armenia against “falling into West’s trap” Zakharova maintained, however, that anything that will benefit the people of Armenia can only be welcomed. CSTO: Armenia has not participated in secretariat’s work recently Recently Armenia has not participated in the work of the secretariat of the CSTO, Imangali Tasmagambetov said. Meeting with U.S., EU not against third parties, says Armenia The meeting scheduled for April 5 is dedicated to strengthening of the Armenia-EU-US cooperation, Yerevan added. Ucom launches network modernization efforts in few regions of Armenia In particular, on March 28, the legacy Mobile Switching Subsystem will be replaced with a new one. |