Airbus' 21st Century Flagship: A380

The Airbus' A380 is truly "love at first flight". The double-deck A380 is the largest commercial aircraft flying today with capacity to carry 525 passengers in a comfortable three-class configuration, and up to 853 passengers in a single-class configuration. The A380's two decks offer 50% more floor surface than any other high-capacity aircraft, providing wider passenger seats than its competitor. Frankly, the A380 is the ideal solution for alleviating traffic congestion at major airports, thanks to its 8,300 nautical miles range. The A380's main deck and upper deck are conveniently linked by fixed forward and aft. stairs. Since its service introduction in 2007, this marvelous aircraft has been winning the hearts and minds of business and leisure passengers alike.

The History of the A380 (2007-Present):

 

 

The A380s have been in operation since 2007 and are in service today with six operators. (1) Singapore Airlines, (2) Emirates, (3) Qantas, (4) Air France, (5) Lufthansa, and (6) Korean Air. These six airlines have benefited from the A380’s passenger attraction in a wide range of route applications.

 

 

1) Singapore Airlines took delivery of the first A380 in October 2007, and began operations with Singapore-Sydney service. This carrier also is successfully using its A380s on long-haul routes to destinations such as London, Paris and Zurich, as well as for the approximately 3 hour-plus Singapore-to-Hong Kong flight, and on the intra-Asia service linking Singapore with Tokyo.

 

 

2) Emirates Airlines, the largest single A380 customer with a total of 90 on order, has expanded its route network since inaugurating operations with the double-deck jetliner in July 2008. In addition to service from Dubai to Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris, Seoul, Sydney/Auckland and Toronto, Emirates is now flying A380s on the shorter-haul, but high-density Dubai-Jeddah route.

 

 

3) Air France, which has operated its prestigious Paris-New York flight with the A380 since November 2009. Air France replaced two mid-sized “classic” wide body aircraft with the A380 on this route, allowing the airline to offer the same capacity with much higher economic efficiency, at significantly lower fuel consumption, and with lower emissions.

 

 

4) Qantas has been operating their A380s since September 2008 from two cities in its Australian home market; Sydney and Melbourne, providing with the jetliner’s first service to Los Angeles on the U.S. West Coast, along with routes to Singapore and London.

 

 

5) Lufthansa joined the ranks of A380 operators in May 2010, deploying its growing fleet on routes from Frankfurt to Tokyo, Beijing and Johannesburg.

 

 

6) Recently, Korean Air received its first A380 in May 2011 and has ordered a total of 10 aircraft to help expand its global route network. As Airbus’ sixth international operator, Korean Air will operate the A380 from its Seoul hub to selected destinations in Asia, followed by non-stop services to North America and Europe.

 

 

There are currently 23 cities linked through 32 different routes being served by an A380, including the upcoming non-stop flights planned by Korean Air from its hub in Seoul to North America and Europe. Overall, this network covers 11 of the world’s top 15 international airports, and encompasses such major hubs as London-Heathrow; Paris-Charles de Gaulle; Hong Kong; Frankfurt; Dubai; Singapore and Tokyo, along with destinations such as Manchester, Zurich, Toronto and other cities.

Airbus advertises the A380 as a Greener, cleaner, quieter and smarter aircraft; setting new benchmarks for the global aviation industry with its superior efficiency, profitability and operational effectiveness. Not only is it setting new passenger comfort standards, the A380 also is raising the bar for environmental standards with its low fuel consumption and noise levels, as well as reduced CO2 and NOx emissions. The A380’s cockpit is based on Airbus’ industry-leading flight deck design for its fly-by-wire jetliner families. It features the latest advances in cockpit technology, including larger interactive displays, an advanced flight management system and improved navigation modes.



Airbus 380 vs. Boeing 787


The A380 has long secured its a place in the global aviation market as the world's leading and largest passenger airplane, but it is also the worlds most expensive airplane. While the B787 Dreamliner has some what failed to please the world due to $10 billions in development that suffered two years of delays, costing the company orders and credibility. Although Boeing 787 has half the capacity of an A380 it too has attracted a steady stream of buyers worldwide. The first 787 Dreamliner rolled out of Boeing’s paint hangar in Everett, Wash., on Aug. 6, 2011. I think more time is needed for us to rule-out a winner; possibly both aircraft may turn to be a success, or both turn to be a failure! It is too early, especially for Boeing.


These two sophisticated aircraft will require teams of highly trained and educated individuals due to their size, sophisticated systems, and passenger capacity. In the near future we will definitely have to understand these two aircraft thoroughly, both as future pilots and aviation managers. I think the future of these two amazing aircraft with ultimately depend on the operators and passengers as well as safety factors. The increasing air traffic congestion will definitely increase the demand for wide body aircraft in the near future and possibly increase orders for both, A380 and B787.