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Awesome Airbus
by Stephanie Siaw. Posted on July 17, 2011, Sunday
TO call an Airbus A380 a big plane is obviously an understatement. With a height of 24.1 metres, an overall length of 73 metres, and a wingspan of 79.8 metres, the world’s largest passenger aeroplane in history really does dwarf all current commercial aircraft at airports the world over.
SKELETON: A peak at the three decks of MAS’ A380 as it enters the assembly line. — Photos by Airbus
That’s the height of a 10-storey building, length of two blue whales and to top it all off, the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903 was around 36 metres – less than half the wingspan of the A380! Apparently 3,600 litres of paint are required for the exterior of the aircraft – enough for Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel 97 times.
The A380 can seat 525 passengers in a three-class configuration to over 800 passengers, depending on what the airlines require. From when it began operations in October 2007 to last month, over 13 million passengers had flown on A380s between 25 major cities globally.
There are currently 51 of the planes in operation and amazingly, this giant has great airport compatibility. It can be operated in existing airport infrastructure with no or little modifications, requiring 605 metres less to take off and 240 metres less to land than its current closest rival – the Boeing 747-400. With a range of 8,300 nautical miles, the A380 can also fly 1,100 nautical miles further.
Thanks to Malaysia Airlines (MAS), thesundaypost joined 16 other Malaysian media organisations on a familiarisation trip to learn about Airbus’ operations in Toulouse, France, last month.
MAS has ordered six A380s and the first, scheduled to be delivered in the middle of next year, was being worked on at the Final Assembly Line (FAL) during our visit.
The airline is expecting delivery of five A380s in 2012, with the first – which we got to see up close – to serve the London-Kuala Lumpur route.
MAS managing director and chief executive officer Tengku Datuk Seri Azmil Zahruddin said, during the visit, that passengers can expect more premium products from the airline on the new planes.
LUXURIOUS: A fully-reclining flat-bed seat is seen in an A380 mock up.
“The first-class is much better than the first-class we’ve got today in the (Boeing) 747. The business class is the best business class we’ve had. It will be a full-fledged business class.
“We are looking at a class of economy – premium economy seats – which is the first time we will be introducing that,” he said, adding that MAS’ A380s will each carry some 500 passengers.
A visit to the A380’s full-scale cabin mock up revealed some of the possibilities which MAS may be adopting in its aircraft.
The impressive mock up is used to show airlines the possibilities of different seat configurations and premium services – from private suites and even showers in what Airbus is calling ‘beyond first-class’, to a social area with bar counters and seating, and sophisticated premium economy seats, which offer a more luxurious travel experience.
Among the options the media had the opportunity to try out, and truly enjoyed, were flat-bed seats with massage functions. The mock up also shows examples of the different cabin lighting options, stylish seat designs and other nifty fixtures.
All the possibilities on the A380 have revolutionised air travel, allowing a new level of comfort and personal space which, in the past, could only be found on ocean liners.
“This is a totally different travel experience to anything we’ve seen before. Not just in terms of the seats and the facilities that the airlines are putting into the aircraft, for everybody on the aeroplane, they have a much better travel experience,” said A380 product marketing director Keith Stonestreet.
He added that this ranged from better air conditioning to lighting, and lower noise levels “so you can relax and feel better at the end of an A380 flight than with any other aeroplane”.
A380s are not only flying long-haul flights but also short 90-minute trips such as between Dubai and Jeddah.
“The aircraft can cover short-haul flying as well as long-haul flying, and the airlines are using the efficiency of the aircraft to cover the full network of operations,” he said.
As of the end of the first quarter of this year, A380s had an operational reliability rate of 98.5 per cent, meaning the planes flew within 15 minutes of scheduled times.
At the end of the day, what counts most for all airlines is revenue. While the A380 can carry around 20 per cent more passengers than the former largest aircraft, it is also said to deliver passengers at 15 to 20 per cent lower cost per trip and per seat over a week’s schedule.
Airlines have also found that passengers book early so that they can fly on the A380.
“What they have seen is the attractiveness of the A380 – so they’ve decided well, we’ll keep the number of cheap seats the same on the A380 as we have on the 747 but that means we’ll have more seats at the higher prices for the people that book later,” Stonestreet explained.
“So if you book early, you’ll still get the same price but everybody is trying to book the A380, so they move into the higher price bucket. So although the prices you see on the website all look the same, the average earning per passenger is higher because people prefer to fly the A380.”
The A380 is the first commercial aircraft to incorporate up to 25 per cent composites. Its carbon-fibre reinforced plastic composite centre wing box has saved up to 1.5 tonnes in weight. Such innovations have meant greater fuel efficiency at less than three litres per passenger per 100km, which is 20 per cent less fuel per seat than the B747.
With the lowest fuel burn per seat, the A380 allows airlines to substantially reduce their environmental footprint in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for sustainable growth in decades to come.
Stonestreet pointed out that the other environmental impact is lower noise levels.
According to Airbus’ fact sheet, the A380 produces two times less noise energy at take-off and three to four times less at landing compared to its closest rival. The Los Angeles World Airports Noise monitoring report stated there is a six decibel difference between the A380 and the B747.
“So you can land four A380s for every 747 in terms of the noise classification at London Heathrow,” he said.
It’s no wonder then the A380 has garnered 234 firm orders from 18 airlines as of June 19. So you can expect to see more of this marvel of aeronautical design and engineering at a major airport near you soon.
thesundaypost was in Toulouse, courtesy of MAS.
The airline has flown the Kuala Lumpur-Paris route for the last 30 years. Since November 2006, it has served the route with daily flights.
