The latest giant of the skies, the Airbus A380, took its first commercial flight under Air France colours on 21 November 2009.
Responding to ever-growing airport congestion and the mounting difficulties at large – and tedious – connecting hubs, this Super Jumbo has become the largest civil aircraft after a few illustrious predecessors.
Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose
The Antonov An-225 heavy-lift carrier
We all remember Howard Hughes’ folly, the Spruce Goose, a giant flying boat with a wingspan of nearly 100 metres that only took to the air once, or the Antonov, a very large Russian transport aircraft still in service today.
The A380 is an aircraft of a new generation, a machine of superlatives: the largest civil airliner, over 73 metres long, a wingspan of nearly 80m across 8 decks of height, a range of more than 15,000 km, an energy and environmental performance that puts any other aircraft to shame, and room for over 500 passengers – up to 850 depending on the version – who can watch their favourite film, chat with each other, or follow take-off footage from cameras mounted on the fuselage on their own screens, all in remarkable comfort and quiet.
Only 4 airlines currently operate this gem of aeronautics: Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Air France, which currently serve North America, certain Asian countries, the Emirates, Australia and New Zealand.
We will have to wait until February 2010 for Air France to serve South Africa.
Now, if close quarters bother you that much, if you despair of ever fitting your endless legs in, or if you no longer want to jostle elbows with your chatty neighbour, you can acquire the A380 in Palace version… provided you have the modest sum of 325 million dollars, of course.
Click on the photo for a 360° view of the A380 cockpit
PS: while you’re at it, don’t miss the extraordinary panoramic photos of Venice taken by Gilles Vidal.
