The travel industry is all abuzz over the new A380 airplane by Airbus which industry insiders say takes international travel to a whole new level. The massive “veritable floating cruise ship,” as one travel blogger called it, seats 525 passengers in three classes of service.
On Monday, German airliner Lufthansa inaugurated its A380 service to New York’s JFK Airport. While the airplane boasts of the most impressive first class cabin imaginable (complete with 6’9” long beds and large lavatories), the real question for those of us unlikely to see the luxury section is “What are the coach seats like?”
Thinking of putting that many people on one aircraft brings up images of cattle cars. Not so, says blogger Matt Long who traveled on Lufthansa’s A380 initial JFK flight. He writes that the airplane has a slimmer seat back that provides an extra two inches of legroom—something that is very much appreciated on long haul flights. “In addition to the extra legroom, the seats themselves seem to be wider, and in general are a much more comfortable experience than most other aircraft,” Long writes on his blog, Landlopers.com
Airbus has received 240 orders for the A380 from just about every airline imaginable, but to date only 43 have been delivered and are in operation. The airline manufacturer says the A380 could actually seat 853 passengers if the plane only had economy class. The plane has two full-length passenger levels and a range of 8,300 nautical miles.
Airbus touts the A380 as the quietest long haul aircraft flying today with 50% less noise on departure than the nearest competitor. A study by the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) confirmed the Airbus claim.
While 525 seats may be the standard configuration for the A380, each airline that buys the mega-jet can configure they plane however it wants. Korean Air said that its first A380, which is set for delivery in May, will only have between 400 and 450 seats, making it “the most spacious A380 anywhere.”
Singapore Airlines was the first carrier to launch A380 service in October 2007. “We take…pride in being the first to operate the Airbus A380, the cleanest and greenest aircraft in operation today…The A380 is also quieter, both inside and outside the cabin,” says the airline on its website.
The massive size of the A380 has posed challenges for airports. According to a Los Angeles Times article, LAX has to give the plane priority landing and take-off. “Service roads, taxiways and runways must be closed to airfield trucks, cars and other commercial aircraft,” said the Times because the A380’s wings are almost as long as a football field.
With so many A380s on order, you can expect the newest generation airplane to eventually become a staple of international travel.