Qantas has taken delivery of its first Airbus A380 at an official handover
ceremony in Toulouse France. The Aircraft is Qantas’ first airbus out of an
order of 20, and will be put into operation from 20 October 2008 with its first
commercial flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles, followed by its second flight
from Sydney to Los Angeles on 24 October 2008.
The Aircraft will leave for Australia tonight with a stopover in
Singapore before landing in Sydney at 9:00 am on Sunday 21 September 2008.
Qantas’ A380 is to be the first Airbus A380 with on board in-flight
internet access, which was originally planned to be a live service, but in
recent days Qantas have pegged back the service to cached only access of Qantas
website, but with live access to Email and Chat services. Qantas say technical
and regulatory issues with their carrier have prevented them from providing the
full live service, they previously promised; Qantas plans to offer a full live
internet service from by the end of 2009.
Qantas have stated they are considering increasing their order of Airbus
A380 aircraft, no details yet.
The Airbus press release can be read below:
Australia’s flagship airline, Qantas, has
received the first of 20 Airbus A380s on order, at a ceremony in Toulouse,
France. The Rolls-Royce powered aircraft was handed over to Qantas Chief
Executive Officer, Geoff Dixon and Qantas CEO-Designate, Alan Joyce by Tom
Enders, Airbus President and CEO and John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer
Customers.
Geoff Dixon said: “When we ordered our A380
in 2000, we said that in addition to giving us the opportunity to reinvent our
product, this revolutionary new aircraft offered capacity and operating
savings, as well as environmental improvements. Everything we have seen since
our initial order has reinforced this view.”
Qantas’ A380 cabin was created by
internationally renowned designer Marc Newson. Typically the A380 seats 525
passengers in three-classes, however Qantas’ cabin is extra spacious with 450
seats (14 First, 72 Business, 32 Premium Economy and 332 Economy).
“The A380 sets the standards for the 21st
century, “ said Tom Enders. “More than 380 patents on board underline the
aircraft’s leadership in eco-efficiency and innovation and will allow Qantas to
continue to grow whilst reducing its impact on the environment. We appreciate
Australia’s iconic airline sharing the A380 vision with us from the very
beginning.”
Qantas was the first customer to conclude the
signing of a contract for the A380. In November 2000, it ordered 12 A380s,
marking the first time in the airline’s long history it had ordered Airbus
aircraft. Qantas later increased its order for A380s to 20, and is now the
second largest customer for the world’s most modern aircraft.
The four Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines will
each deliver up to 72,000 lbs of thrust, contributing to the aircraft’s overall
fuel efficiency of less than three litres of fuel per passenger per 100
kilometres.
Rolls-Royce Chairman Simon Robertson said:
“We appreciate the opportunity once again to be an integral player in shaping
the future success of Qantas, Australia’s iconic carrier and one of the world’s
leading airlines. This occasion marks another milestone for the Trent 900, the
market leading engine for the A380.”
The aircraft’s efficiency and advanced
technologies result in higher operational flexibility and outstanding
economics, with a range of more than 15,000 km and seat-mile costs 20 per cent
lower than its closest competitor. The A380 also provides vital extra passenger
capacity without increasing the number of flights.
Qantas’ A380 will stop-over in Singapore
before arriving in Sydney on September 21st. Qantas’ first
commercial A380 services will be launched on October 20th from
Melbourne to Los Angeles, and on October 24th from Sydney to Los
Angeles. Later Qantas will also fly the A380 to Singapore and London. Currently
the Qantas group, including low-cost subsidiary Jetstar, has ordered a total of
110 aircraft directly from Airbus.