Singapore Airlines' A380 Takes First FlightA380 Takes First FlightThe superjumbo Airbus A380 made its maiden commercial voyage on Thursday, Oct. 25, a festive trip from Singapore to Sydney.
By Gillian Wong, AP
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 took off on a historic journey on Thursday, Oct. 25—the first commercial flight by the world's largest jetliner, which boasts luxurious suites enclosed by sliding doors, double beds, a bar and the quietest interior of any plane.
With 455 passengers, some of whom paid tens of thousands of dollars for a seat in aviation history, the superjumbo left Singapore for Sydney at 8:16 a.m. on a 7 1/2-hour flight that launches a new era in air travel. Also on board flight SQ380 were a crew of about 30 including four pilots.
Passengers clapped as the plane left the gate on schedule and taxied to the runway that was widened and lengthened to accommodate the plane. More cheers broke out 16 minutes later as the double-decker aircraft, powered by four Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines, lifted smoothly into the nearly cloudless sky tinged pink by the light of the early morning sun.
Flight attendants handed out champagne and certificates to passengers.
"It is huge in here and very comfortable, even in economy, although the seats are a bit narrow," said Chris Billowes, 59, of Sweden, as he sipped champagne, leaning against the bulkhead near the emergency exit.
Also among the passengers was Swedish electronics engineer Ralf Danielsson, 58, who took the first Concorde flight in 1979. "Twenty-eight years later, I thought it would be fun to do something like that again," he said.
The A380 ends the nearly 37-year reign of the U.S.-made Boeing 747 jumbo jet as the world's most spacious passenger plane. The A380 is also the most fuel efficient and quietest passenger jet ever built, from inside and outside, according to its European manufacturer, Airbus SAS.
It was delivered to Singapore Airlines on Oct. 15, nearly two years behind schedule after billions of dollars in cost overruns for Airbus. Still, the wait was worth it, says Singapore Airlines, which got the exclusivity of being the plane's sole operator for 10 months.
"This is indeed a new milestone in the timeline of aviation," said Chew Choon Seng, chief executive of Singapore Airlines, or SIA, in a speech before the departure. He said the A380 is "the first totally new big aircraft to be designed and built since the Boeing 747" nearly four decades ago.
Chew, flanked by two flight attendants, greeted passengers with a smile and a nod as they boarded the aircraft, which is as tall as a seven-story building. Each wing is big enough to hold about 70 mid-sized cars.
The Boeing 747 jumbo jet generally carries about 500 passengers. But the A380 is capable of carrying 853 passengers in an all-economy class configuration.
However, Singapore Airlines, recognized as one of the best in the world, opted for 471 seats in three classes—12 Singapore Airlines Suites, 60 business class and 399 economy class.
Slide Show: The New Airbus A380
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This article was originally published by Associated Press in October, 2007.
The information in this story was accurate at the time it was published in October, 2007, but we suggest you confirm all details and prices as these can change at any time.
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