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The New Airbus A380
The world's largest passenger airplane landed in JFK Airport on Monday, March 19, bearing many smiling Lufthansa executives and a suspiciously photogenic flight crew. By all accounts, the eight-hour flight from Frankfurt went exceedingly well, though one passenger described the A380's landing as "a little rough. Takeoff was great, though."
In a press conference adjacent to Terminal One's food court, Lufthansa management sang the praises of their company's new sky cruiser: The A380 is bigger, quieter and greener than its competition. It has 50 percent more passenger space than the 747, a massive wingspan that enables it to land at slower speeds, thus lowering noise pollution, and gets roughly 80 miles to the gallon (that's per passenger). All this for only $300 million.
While those superlatives haven't translated into any North American sales yet (domestic carriers seem to be primarily interested in frequency over bulk), Airbus currently has 156 orders from 14 international carriers. Unsurprisingly, the top three buyers specialize in long-haul flights: Emirates leads the pack, followed by Qantas and Singapore Airlines. But the A380 won't start flying commercially until later this year, giving its new owners plenty of time to customize their new planes.
See our slideshow of of the Airbus A380.
The airplane is indeed very large -- eight stories high and almost as long as a football field, with a tail that has the wingspan of a Learjet. It's essentially a double-decker jumbo jet, though the upper deck extends the length of the craft, requiring two simultaneous boarding procedures. The two passenger decks have an area of almost 6,000 feet, roughly the equivalent of three tennis courts, capable of carrying 550 passengers in a standard seating configuration (the average 747 carries around 350). However,an economy carrier could easily pack the behemoth with more than 800 fares.
As with all commercial aircraft, the planes are delivered to their carriers in a stripped-down form – no exterior paint, very basic interior architecture. Of course, all of that square footage gives rise to some tantalizing design options: bars, lounges, gyms, saunas, showers, casinos, beauty parlors, conference facilities, movie theaters — perhaps even a parking garage or a racehorse stable for an emir on the go.
The A380 has even given rise to a new seating taxonomy: super first class. Luxury passengers on some airlines will have their own private (albeit cozy) suite, replete with full-length beds, plasma screens and recliners. A lounge area is a available for work meetings, while a downstairs bar facilitates other networking opportunities.
Emirates, renowned for its first-class service, recently selected the design firm B/E Aerospace to build their new A380 first-class suites. In addition to fully reclined beds, the suites will feature vanity mirrors, closets, refrigerators, and state-of-the-art entertainment systems.
Of course, new airplanes have often talked a big game – some 747s briefly flirted with piano bars in the '70s – before bowing to economic (as well as physical) realities. The FAA has also yet to weigh in on the possibility of holding spinning classes at 30,000 feet.
Read on to see some interior design mock-ups of the A380's new super first class, as well as learn some more fun facts about the biggest jumbo jet on the block, coming soon to an international airport near you.
See our slideshow of the Airbus A380.
