October 26, 2007

A Superjumbo Jet Lifts Off

The Airbus A380 takes its first paying patrons to the skies

By Vickie An

The gigantic Airbus A380 aircraft is lifting fliers to new heights. The world's largest passenger plane completed its first commercial flight on Thursday. The jetliner took off from the tiny Asian island nation of Singapore. Seven and a half hours later, it touched down on schedule in Sydney, Australia.

GILLIAN WONG—AP San Francisco student Francis Wu celebrates his 22nd birthday aboard the A380’s historic first flight. The airline crew surprised Wu with a white chocolate cake and a song. “This is the best birthday I have ever had in my whole life,” he said.

Singapore Airlines operated the historic premiere flight and became the first airline to add the superjumbo to its fleet. Most of the seats were auctioned online for charity. Eager travelers paid between $1,200 to $100,000 for their chance to climb aboard. The auction raised more than $1 million for aid organizations in Singapore and Sydney, as well as for the international group, Doctors Without Borders.

Australians Tony Elwood and his wife, Julie Elwood, spent $50,000 for their tickets. "I have never been in anything like this in the air before in my life," Tony Elwood said. "It's going to make everything else after this simply awful."

Five-Star Flying

The A380 has two levels, like a double-decker bus, and stands as tall as a seven-story building. Its wings stretch out 260 feet. Airbus also claims that even though the new model is enormous, it is the most fuel-efficient and quietest passenger plane ever built.

Each airline can choose how to arrange seating in the plane's cabin. The jet can carry as many as 850 passengers, depending on the layout. But most airlines are expected to design their planes with fewer seats. And that means more legroom and comfort for fliers.

Singapore Airlines outfitted their first A380 with 471 seats. For those looking for extra luxury, there are also 12 private rooms available. Each one is equipped with a bed, table and television. Passenger William Leong, a businessman from Singapore, was especially impressed with the rooms' sliding doors. That way, "when I snore, it won't disturb my neighbors," he said.

A Turbulent Take-Off

The A380 was expected to be ready for the skies in 2005. However, manufacturing problems put the craft's debut on hold for nearly two years. Airbus spent nearly $20 billion trying to get the plus-size plane off the ground.

Still, Chew Choon Seng, chief executive of Singapore Airlines, believes it was worth the wait. "This is indeed a new milestone in the timeline of aviation," he said.

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