Airbus 380 Takes Flight

On October 24, Singapore Airlines A380 took off from Singapore en route to Sydney, Australia. What makes this voyage unique? This is the first commercial flight for the Airbus 380, the world's largest passenger aircraft.

The A380 aircraft is deemed to be environmentally friendly with a fuel efficiency of less than one gallon per person per 62 miles. The average commercial flights uses about 1.3 gallons for a similar distance. According to John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer of Airbus, "The airline industry consumes about 160 million tonnes of fuel per year. If the A380 was already in service, it would save 65 million tonnes of fuel today." In addition, the A380 boasts the quietest aircraft in the sky. This is made possible by three million perforations in acoustic linings which protect the jet engines. There are a total of 189 A380 standing orders from 16 customers including British Airways, Air France, Quantas, and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Singapore Airlines' A380 has four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines. It has a seating capacity of 471 seats. The luxurious double decker interior features Singapore Airline Suites, a class beyond first. The 12 individual private suites offers an extravagant flying experience with its over sized armchair seating, 23" LCD televisions, a stand up wardrobe, and a full sized stand alone bed. World class dining includes Krug and Dom Perignon , the featured champagnes. Business Class offers individual 15.4" LCD televisions and the seat folds out into a bed. Economy Class seating is also available aboard the A380.

For the A380's inaugural flight, Singapore Airlines auctioned off seats on Ebay. The approximately S$1.9 million that was raised from the auction is being donated to various charities including Doctors Without Borders and the Sydney's Children's Hospital. The first person to purchase a private suite for the trip to Sydney paid approximately U.S. $100,000 for his and a friend's ticket. A California man who flew on the first Boeing 747 commercial flight between New York and London in 1970 was also a passenger on this flight. The youngest passenger was a 10 month old. The oldest was a 91 year old Singapore man. On this first flight all classes were treated to a special champagne brunch. Chew Choon Seng , Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Airlines, noted, "This delivery really marks the beginning of a new chapter for the aviation industry and we feel honored to be the ones opening this new chapter."

Sources:
Airbus, "The A380: Designed for World Growth and The Environment" The A380 Navigator (Design, Technology).
Airbus, "Minimizing Engine Noise", The A380 Navigator (Design, Technology).
Airbus, "A380 Customers", The A380 Navigator (Customers, Market).
Singapore Airlines, "World's Largest Airliner Enters Commercial Service", PR News Wire.
"Airbus delivers first A380 to Singapore Airlines: New chapter in aviation history", Airbus