Airbus sent their new "Super Airliner" the A380 on its first long distance flight yesterday, after 12 hours in the air it landed at Changi Airport in Singapore.
The plane, capable of carrying 555 passengers has been ordered by Singapore Airlines, Quantas, Emirates, Qatar Airways, China Southern Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways.
Initially Singapore Airlines will operate the A380 on the London-Singapore-Sydney route which is considered a cash cow for most airlines.
Although any runway that is capable of taking a Boeing 747 can accommodate the A380, as it's take off & landing is actually shorter than the 747, the terminal & infrastructure do require some updating - at nearly 80 metres the wingspan is 15 metres bigger than the 747-400.
Singapore Airlines will take its first delivery in November 2006, nearly a year late after some production problems.
After undertaking quite a few long haul flights I think the 747 is the best, most comfortable & probably one of the safest things to defy gravity in, let's hope the A380 follows suit.
2 comments:
And doesn't it look cool. I can't wait for my first A380 flight. Even if it is in cattle class as usual.
It does look the mutts nuts, hence inclusion here. The sheer scale of this aircraft is bewildering. The engine cowlings alone are twice the size of those on the 747-400. I can't wait to have a seat on one as well. I wonder if BA & Virgin will operate them? Imagine a Virgin Upper Class bar with as much space as a pub\London bar on the ground!
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