The new Airbus A380 is in the news these days after test flights to the U.S. This is the plane that is so huge that most airports can’t accommodate it; a double-decker that is 80 feet high and has a wingspan wider than a football field. Airbus promotes a passenger capacity of 555 in three classes, and talks about configurations that include bars, lounges, and in-flight massages.
Well, I recall that the Boeing 747 included such amenities when it first arrived. And those were quickly disposed of in favor of more seats. In this day and age, I don’t expect that any A380s will include anything other than narrow seats, pitched so closely that passengers’ noses are smashed into the back of the seat in front of them.
If an A380 is configured with a full compliment of seats, in a full economy class configuration, this massive plane can accommodate an astonishing 853 people. And we know that this is how it will be configured.
Here’s the thing: it takes a half hour to board a 737 with an average of 130 passengers. At that rate, it will take more than 3 hours to board the A380 with 850 passengers. Maybe longer — with that long of a boarding process, people would be getting up to go to the bathroom, slowing down the process. The A380 has separate doors for the two decks, so that will help somewhat; but have you ever seen a double-decker jetway at your local airport? Or for that matter, any gate area that can accommodate 800 people all vying to get on the plane first? Airport modifications are easy compared to passenger behavior modification.
After landing, will people stand up in the aisles for 3 hours waiting to get off the damned thing? (It is worth noting that the A380 did pass evacuation tests, where 873 people escaped from the plane through only half of the 16 exits in only 78 seconds.)
Now, here’s a sobering question: what happens after the first A380 crash with the resulting deaths of 800 passengers? That’s a pretty shocking, high death toll to contemplate. Will it be like the Concorde — one crash and the plane is retired forever?
The new Airbus A380 is so huge that most airports can’t accommodate it; a double-decker that is 80 feet high and has a wingspan wider than a football field. This raises some questions in a mind such as mine.
Yeah, as much of an airline/airplane nut as I am, I don’t find myself excited about the A380 at all. And with all those passengers, think about the even longer wait for checked baggage (though maybe they’d have some system using multiple groups and carousels). Anyway, I’m more excited about Boeing’s new jets, like the 787.