| Major airports re-arrange facilities to accommodate the new Airbus |
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| World Affairs Talk | |
| Monday, 04 June 2007 | |
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Other hubs are following the trend as well. The superjumbo A380, scheduled for delivery to airlines later this year, has been plagued by a series of scandals that have caused shares of Airbus' parent EADS to sink, wiped billions of dollars off profit forecasts and set back delivery by two additional years. "This airplane has created a lot of debate," said Airbus chief executive Louis Gallois after the glitch-free arrival in Paris. "Now we know it is here, it is beautiful, it is excellent", he added. The superjumbo A380 received a heartwarming welcome at Paris. Plane-spotters bedecked with cameras and telescopes lined roads near the airport to greet the A380's arrival. Two giant water cannons sprayed the plane as it taxied in at the airport, where it will remain for two days of tests before heading to Japan, Australia and Taiwan. The airport has also strengthened its runways and widened taxiways. The superjumbo carried its "VIP" passengers - six Parisian schoolchildren and their teacher from Airbus' headquarters in the southwestern city of Toulouse. France’s Charles de Gaulle airport's new lounge, designed to handle up to six passenger loads of A380s at the same time, will be operational by the summer. Each plane will have three jetways, for speedier boarding. The first deliveries of the A380 are scheduled to be made in October 2007 to Singapore Airlines Ltd. Air France-KLM, the first European carrier to fly the plane, is slated to take its first delivery in April 2009. Airbus touts the A380 as quieter than most existing commercial aircraft, with better fuel efficiency and lower emissions of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide per passenger. Airbus on its web site reported that that as of April 2007, it received 156 orders for the new plane, which is priced at about $319 million though it has no US carriers as customers. Atlanta's Hartsfield International, the world's busiest passenger airport, is the only airport that has said it will not adapt for the superjumbo because it mainly serves domestic passengers. Los Angeles International Airport, the fifth-busiest airport worldwide, is expected to be the first U.S. destination for the A380 after it enters commercial service. The city's airports agency is spending more than $120 million on projects to prepare Los Angeles International and nearby Ontario International airports for the new jets. The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, four-engine airliner. The A380's upper deck extends along the entire length of the fuselage. This allows for a cabin with 50% more floor space than the next largest airliner, the Boeing 747-400, and provides seating for 525 people in standard three-class configuration or up to 853 people in full economy class configuration. Manucafcurers claim that A380 is built to be greener overall, not just because of its highly efficient design and new generation engines, but also thanks to a commitment from Airbus to reduce the total environmental impact of its aircraft. Airbus is the only manufacturer in the aviation industry to meet the strict ISO 14001 environmental management standards, covering all its manufacturing sites and products. Share & Bookmark             |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 06 June 2007 ) |
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