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Published On: Jan 19, 2009 02:43 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Jan 19, 2009 02:43 PM
Airbus 380 shown in the flesh for the first time
Last week Airbus Industrie had a full-on PR
effort involving European leaders to unveil its A380 Airbus, the first full
two-deck aircraft able to carry more than 500
passengers.
There have been previous double deckers in the piston-engine days of yore, and the Boeing 747 had its own double-deck, but that only extended to the wing root. and is usually reserved for business class passengers in most airlines. It did start as a first class lounge in the early days when the 747 was released, but the pressure of modern commercial aviation means that it has to contains seats which contain paying customers.
On United Airlines which I flew in January 2005 and had a chance to sit upstairs (my preferred area when I get the chance to fly in C) it goes from Row 11 to about Row 22, so contains roughly 36 passengers, and a galley, as well as two restrooms.
Curiously, for the first time, the flight attendants during the pushback phase out of LAX, said that when it was time for the flight crew to use the loo, the restrooms would be closed to others, and a flight attendant would stand guard. Most unusual!
Now a number of people have asked me if the size of the Airbus 380 will mean changes to airports. Of course, this will be the case in order to onload and off load 500 pax quickly and smoothly. So airports will need to add special gate areas to handle that influx of people.
The north-south runway at Melbourne Airport is about to commence alterations in order to widen it, so that the outer engines (1 and 4) will not hang over grass when they rev up during the take-off run, and thus likely to ingest unwanted items through the huge Trent or GE engines.
But the length will not be increased!
Why, you ask?
Well, despite its increased maximum takeoff weight over the 747, its increased power from the new engines means its take-off run can be shorter. Improved braking means the current length of the runway (3.7 kms) will handle the landings too. Of course, if Qantas which is an early customer, decides to fly it direct from Melbourne to LA , it will load it up with a huge fuel supply, meaning any return to the airport soon after take-off will see loads of time needed to dump fuel to bring the landing weight down.
There have been previous double deckers in the piston-engine days of yore, and the Boeing 747 had its own double-deck, but that only extended to the wing root. and is usually reserved for business class passengers in most airlines. It did start as a first class lounge in the early days when the 747 was released, but the pressure of modern commercial aviation means that it has to contains seats which contain paying customers.
On United Airlines which I flew in January 2005 and had a chance to sit upstairs (my preferred area when I get the chance to fly in C) it goes from Row 11 to about Row 22, so contains roughly 36 passengers, and a galley, as well as two restrooms.
Curiously, for the first time, the flight attendants during the pushback phase out of LAX, said that when it was time for the flight crew to use the loo, the restrooms would be closed to others, and a flight attendant would stand guard. Most unusual!
Now a number of people have asked me if the size of the Airbus 380 will mean changes to airports. Of course, this will be the case in order to onload and off load 500 pax quickly and smoothly. So airports will need to add special gate areas to handle that influx of people.
The north-south runway at Melbourne Airport is about to commence alterations in order to widen it, so that the outer engines (1 and 4) will not hang over grass when they rev up during the take-off run, and thus likely to ingest unwanted items through the huge Trent or GE engines.
But the length will not be increased!
Why, you ask?
Well, despite its increased maximum takeoff weight over the 747, its increased power from the new engines means its take-off run can be shorter. Improved braking means the current length of the runway (3.7 kms) will handle the landings too. Of course, if Qantas which is an early customer, decides to fly it direct from Melbourne to LA , it will load it up with a huge fuel supply, meaning any return to the airport soon after take-off will see loads of time needed to dump fuel to bring the landing weight down.
No, it's not an old 747, but a A380 model given to John Travolta. See the full story here.
Still, like the 747, prices should drop for economy trips, meaning even few reasons why fearful flyers will have for not flying. This is already happening with low-cost airlines offering special, such as under $10 (+taxes) flights between state capitals in Australia.
Both the imminent placement of the Airbus 380 into services and more cheap flights means the fear of flying business has begun its recovery from the difficulties faced after 9/11, in ways mirroring the fate of the commercial airlines businesses.
Posted: Wednesday - January 26, 2005 at 02:17 PM |