|
Airbus marks A380 anniversary |
|
Monday, 27 October 2008 |
|
The Airbus A380 has completed its first year of active service.
On October 25th, European commercial aviation manufacturer Airbus marked the first anniversary of active service for its new flagship aircraft, the A380.
The 21st-century airliner was first handed to Singapore Airlines on October 15th, 2007, and entered into service ten days later with a special charity flight from Singapore to Sydney.
Since then, nine A380 aircraft have been delivered to carriers including Emirates Airline and Qantas. Singapore Airlines operates a fleet of six A380s, while Emirates has two and Qantas the remaining one.
To date, some 17 international customers have committed to purchasing 202 of the jumbo jet-liners, which are capable of carrying up to 525 passengers in a single class configuration.
"The A380 meets all its promised performance objectives," said Tom Enders, president and chief executive of Airbus. "It brings real benefits to our customers as the aircraft’s efficiency and dispatch reliability is really unprecedented.”
According to Airbus, the A380 - the world's largest passenger airliner - has 50 per cent more floor space than any other high-capacity aircraft and the lowest onboard noise levels in the commercial sector. |
