Ten Year Old A346 To Be Scrapped

na · Thu Apr 28, 2016 9:54 am

http://www.skyliner-aviation.de/regdb.main?LC=nav4&page=2

G-VBLU, ex Virgin Atlantic and just past 10 years old, seems to be heading for the scrappers directly after being returned to the lessor. Its the youngest A340 ever to be dismantled though a few others of its age are stored.

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SpaceshipDC10 · Thu Apr 28, 2016 10:12 am

Probably worth more as scrap than the current market glut of such aircraft can offer.

JerseyFlyer · Thu Apr 28, 2016 11:23 am

I wonder why it is not going to Iran on an interim basis. Is the lessor from the USA?

egph · Thu Apr 28, 2016 11:27 am

Leased from ILFC - http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-a340-723.htm

euroflyer · Thu Apr 28, 2016 12:40 pm

Sad to see Soul Sister go to scrap. At least, she'll still be #25 top ranking photo on A.net

AirbusA6 · Thu Apr 28, 2016 1:06 pm

Unlike the A340-300 which has a lot in common with the A330, a lot of the A345/6 is unique.

I can't imagine these unique parts (and even the engines) being worth much secondhand?

backseatdriver · Thu Apr 28, 2016 4:36 pm

Such a beautiful machine, it is a shame indeed.

NYPECO · Thu Apr 28, 2016 4:53 pm

What a waste of an aircraft.

SEPilot · Thu Apr 28, 2016 5:08 pm

The A346 was a very good aircraft; but it had the misfortune of running against an absolutely marvelous one that did almost everything it did better. Had fuel prices not been so high for so long the A346 might have fared a bit better, but those are the breaks. It is not helping their situation now that so few of them were made, which makes it very difficult and expensive for any new would be operator, and hence makes it very difficult for lessors to place them. With no freighter conversion on the horizon, I think it likely that this will be the fate of pretty much all of them after the airlines flying them decide to dispense with them. Of course, the fact that there is no resale value will probably perversely help keep them flying where they are for a little while longer.

tortugamon · Thu Apr 28, 2016 6:05 pm

What a waste.

tortugamon

Stitch · Thu Apr 28, 2016 6:09 pm

Quoting SpaceshipDC10 (Reply 1):
Probably worth more as scrap than the current market glut of such aircraft can offer.

I believe the bulk of the A340-600 fleet is still in revenue service, so I could understand why this frame might be worth scrapping as the spares market could be strong.

Spacepope · Thu Apr 28, 2016 6:15 pm

From the duplicate thread, according to G-INFO she had about 48,000 hours on her in January. Over 10 years, that is actually some pretty high utilization (many airlines only put 3500/yr on their planes, with WN only doing about 3000). How close was she to a heavy check?

LAX772LR · Thu Apr 28, 2016 6:44 pm

Quoting AirbusA6 (Reply 5):
I can't imagine these unique parts (and even the engines) being worth much secondhand?

They'd be pretty valuable to someone like LH....

fanofjets · Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:08 pm

Sad to see this aircraft go. She brought my elder daughter back to the US from a wonderful semester abroad in the UK. I wish she could fly for another carrier if VS doesn't need her anymore.

SpaceshipDC10 · Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:21 pm

Quoting egph (Reply 3):
Leased from ILFC - http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-a340-723.htm

Airfleets is not up to date.

http://www.planespotters.net/airfram...us/A340/723/G-VBLU-Virgin-Atlantic

Planesmart · Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:59 pm

Quoting AirbusA6 (Reply 5):
I can't imagine these unique parts (and even the engines) being worth much secondhand?

Wrong. Which is precisely why scrapping and parting is attractive, at present, versus refurbishment and finding a new operator.

Revelation · Thu Apr 28, 2016 8:50 pm

Quoting SEPilot (Reply 8):
The A346 was a very good aircraft; but it had the misfortune of running against an absolutely marvelous one that did almost everything it did better.

Some food for thought from Bjorn at http://leehamnews.com/2015/12/11/bjorns-corner-twins-or-quads/ (see comment section):

Quote:

– it is a typical example of a base design stretched to far. The cross section (8 abreast) stems from the A300 which had a fuselage fineness ratio of 9.5 (length/diameter, efficient ratios are between 9 and 12). This was stretched to 11.2 for A340-300 and 13 for A340-600. This is a fuselage to long and slender, you pay with weight. The A340-600 is at least 10t heavier than a 777-300ER (fineness ratio 11.8).

– the engines for the A340-600 are ~10% less efficient than the GE90-115. A bit of that is size effects but not much, most of it the Trent 500 being half a generation older than the GE90-115. The Trent 500 was derived from the Trent 700 and 800, both a generation older than the GE90-115 which was a total renewal of the GE90 first generation.

So a part of the reason the A346 was challenged was that it was too long and slim, the other part was that the T500 was outclassed by the GE90-115.

na · Thu Apr 28, 2016 9:53 pm

Quoting Revelation (Reply 16):
So a part of the reason the A346 was challenged was that it was too long and slim, the other part was that the T500 was outclassed by the GE90-115.

RR made a rather bad job on the A346, while GE probably made their best job ever on the 77W. If it would have been the other way around who knows how it would look like today.

ZeeZoo · Thu Apr 28, 2016 11:27 pm

Quoting euroflyer (Reply 4):

Sad to see Soul Sister go to scrap. At least, she'll still be #25 top ranking photo on A.net

Was that shot even real? Seems too good to be true.

B737900 · Thu Apr 28, 2016 11:29 pm

Whenever I see a photo like the one above of an A346 I think of the Hollies song 'Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)'. Very cool and classy-the song and the plane.

Viscount724 · Thu Apr 28, 2016 11:54 pm

Quoting NYPECO (Reply 7):
What a waste of an aircraft.

It's not a waste. Parts can often be worth more than the aircraft these days. And 10+ years isn't that young when you consider that several A318s less than 3 or 4 years old have been scrapped, including a couple only 2 years old.

LAX772LR · Fri Apr 29, 2016 1:43 am

Quoting na (Reply 17):
RR made a rather bad job on the A346, while GE probably made their best job ever on the 77W. If it would have been the other way around who knows how it would look like today.

That still wouldn't have addressed the bulk of the excessive weight on the A346, nor the inflexibly narrow fuselage.

8 abreast vs 9-or-10 abreast may sound nice to coach pax, but that's a severe limitation for the operator.

AirPacific747 · Fri Apr 29, 2016 9:18 am

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 20):
And 10+ years isn't that young when you consider that several A318s less than 3 or 4 years old have been scrapped, including a couple only 2 years old.

Absurd. A complete waste of earths resources.

breiz · Fri Apr 29, 2016 12:42 pm

Quoting Planesmart (Reply 15):
Quoting AirbusA6 (Reply 5):
I can't imagine these unique parts (and even the engines) being worth much secondhand?

Wrong. Which is precisely why scrapping and parting is attractive, at present, versus refurbishment and finding a new operator.

Apart from the engines which may be re-used on other types, the logic of spare parts being worth a lot when applying to a very small fleet of ac, is a bit dubious.
I suppose that a depleted market for the A346 specifically is more of a valid reason.
I understand that the A345 is now doing quite well, thanks to the reduced oil price.

Aircellist · Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:04 pm

Quoting AirPacific747 (Reply 22):
Absurd. A complete waste of earths resources.

Yup.

Whatever the rationale for the dismantling of new planes is, I agree with you.

FlyingJhawk · Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:12 pm

Quoting backseatdriver (Reply 6):
Such a beautiful machine, it is a shame indeed.

From a purely aesthetics perspective, I've always found the -600 a bit ungainly much like the stretched DC-8s. I think the -500 is the best looking 4 holer that AB has made and very similar proportions to the 707.

LAX772LR · Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:34 pm

Quoting AirPacific747 (Reply 22):
Absurd. A complete waste of earths resources.

How? You do realize that the material gets recycled, do you not?

A far more efficient use of resources than letting it sit in a boneyard somewhere because no one wants to operate it.... it puts those materials back into market circulation, thus (in theory) lowering the demand for extraction of new resources from the earth, that would've otherwise been needed for new construction.

Quoting Aircellist (Reply 24):
Whatever the rationale for the dismantling of new planes is, I agree with you.

(See above).

Quoting breiz (Reply 23):
I understand that the A345 is now doing quite well, thanks to the reduced oil price.

Doing quite well at what? What airline even operates one anymore?

Aircellist · Sat Apr 30, 2016 5:10 am

Quoting LAX772LR (Reply 26):

Quoting AirPacific747 (Reply 22):
Absurd. A complete waste of earths resources.

How? You do realize that the material gets recycled, do you not?

A far more efficient use of resources than letting it sit in a boneyard somewhere because no one wants to operate it.... it puts those materials back into market circulation, thus (in theory) lowering the demand for extraction of new resources from the earth, that would've otherwise been needed for new construction.

Quoting Aircellist (Reply 24):
Whatever the rationale for the dismantling of new planes is, I agree with you.

(See above).

… Maybe it should just not have been made?

solarflyer22 · Sat Apr 30, 2016 5:17 am

Quoting SpaceshipDC10 (Reply 14):
Airfleets is not up to date.

http://www.planespotters.net/airfram...us/A340/723/G-VBLU-Virgin-Atlantic

Its leased by AerCap which is technically Ireland based so it could in theory lease it to Iran. In practice, its an American company I think that just uses Ireland as a tax haven. I doubt they offered it and I doubt they would have taken just a single frame. They need planes in bulk.

n7371f · Sat Apr 30, 2016 8:10 am

It's a beautiful image seeing that aircraft scrapped. So long John Leahy and his misguided, arrogant, stupid 4-engines-4-the-long-haul campaign. RIP you moron.

That said...Leahy is a brilliant seller & marketer. But that whole thing with the 4 engines was an idiotic and naive marketing ploy.

boefan · Sat Apr 30, 2016 8:18 am

Didn't want to start another thread about it so i will post it here (related)

Swiss retired HB-JMO today a 19 year old A343 . Ferried to LDE for storage .

Airbus Industries - Airbus A340-300 - HB-JMO - ZRH by Mike Wyss, on Flickr

Pellegrine · Sun May 01, 2016 8:00 am

I really wish I can buy one of these beautiful A340s before they're all gone. I'd love an A340-542X. I'd rather have a ~$50M plane than a $50M house. I'd even blow the money on it as a piece of art if I didn't have money to redo the interior, for fuel, and maintenance...which surely would cost a few million a year alone.

ahmetdouas · Sun May 01, 2016 8:40 am

Quoting boefan (Reply 30):

i think they are retiring them as the 77W's come in?

SpaceshipDC10 · Sun May 01, 2016 8:59 am

Quoting boefan (Reply 30):

I wonder whether that former AC aircraft will find a new home for a while in Iran?

Quoting ahmetdouas (Reply 32):
i think they are retiring them as the 77W's come in?

Not all the A343s, only the second-hands for the time being.

Pacific · Sun May 01, 2016 9:38 am

If Boeing had delivered the 777-300ER on spec with 13,280km range, LESS than a 747-400, the A340-600 would have had its niche, being the only aircraft in its size capable of up to 16 hour missions. As it turned out, the 777-300ER rolled out with 14,250km of range, virtually identical with the A340-600. This was the final nail in the coffin.
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...g-777-300er-fast-and-heavy-176585/

Beautiful aircraft though, surprised it didn't find its way to Iran as interim lift until they eventually get the latest aircraft.

B777LRF · Sun May 01, 2016 9:48 am

Quoting LAX772LR (Reply 26):
What airline even operates one anymore?

Oh, nobody special. Just minor ones like Lufthansa, China Eastern, Etihad, South African, Iberia and Virgin Atlantic.

SpaceshipDC10 · Sun May 01, 2016 10:06 am

Quoting B777LRF (Reply 35):
Oh, nobody special. Just minor ones like (...) China Eastern

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BAeRJ100 · Sun May 01, 2016 10:16 am

Quoting B777LRF (Reply 35):
Oh, nobody special. Just minor ones like Lufthansa, China Eastern, Etihad, South African, Iberia and Virgin Atlantic.

The original post you quoted was in reference to the A345, just FYI.

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