After it makes its first test flight this spring, the 555-seat A380 is to go into regular service in 2006. But don't expect it to immediately swoop into U.S. airports. Initially, it is scheduled to fly between Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
For now, passenger-carrying U.S. airlines are generally downsizing and have yet to purchase the four-engine colossus. However, by 2008, foreign carriers should be providing service to New York and San Francisco, and possibly even Miami and Los Angeles.
The A380 will have three decks, the top two for passengers and the lower one available for spas, casinos, a medical center, shopping or a fast-food franchise. Some airlines plan to install staterooms with beds and showers.
The grandiose design demonstrates the airline industry's determination to move forward despite the terrorist attacks three years ago, industry experts say.
The supersized jetliner will weigh up to 560 tons. Its 118-ton fuel supply alone will weigh more than two fully loaded Boeing 717 jetliners. Yet it will be one of the fastest airliners, able to fly almost 600 mph up to 9,200 miles.
Additionally, Airbus says it will be quieter than most jetliners and more fuel efficient, burning 1.3 gallons per passenger per 100 miles -- based on a full plane -- which is comparable to the fuel economy of a small turbo-diesel car.
Because of that efficiency, Airbus says ticket prices on the aircraft, which costs upward of $300 million per plane, could be cheaper than current fares for international travel.
About 5,000 aviation officials, media members and dignitaries, including heads of state from around Europe, are to be on hand at Blagnac Airport near Toulouse, France, for the unveiling. Airbus already has received 149 orders from 14 customers, most from Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Although FedEx and UPS are the only U.S. carriers to order the plane so far, South Floridians should see three foreign carriers, Air France, Lufthansa and Virgin-Atlantic, land it at Miami International by 2008 or 2009, said Bruce Drum, the airport's assistant director of operations.
He said MIA is one of the first airports in the nation to prepare for the plane's arrival, reconstructing four terminal gates to load and offload passengers at two different levels.
"We have prestigious routes and this is an international hub airport," he said. "Basically, we're ready today to accommodate it."
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and Palm Beach International airports are far from ready.
"With the wingspan on that thing, you'd have to build new taxiways for it," said Jim Reynolds, spokesman for the Fort Lauderdale airport.
"We don't plan on making changes to accept the plane for the sake of being on standby, or an alternate airport," said Palm Beach airport spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda.
Airbus says most of the major U.S. commercial airports already have sufficiently long runways to accept the A380. However, many of those runways are 150 feet wide, and the Federal Aviation Administration has yet to determine if that is enough berth for such a gargantuan aircraft.
Safety on a large scale
Despite its bulk, the A380 must meet the same rigorous safety standards as other jetliners, experts say. For instance, in a fire, passengers must be able to evacuate from 16 exits within 90 seconds.
Still, if there were an accident, airport fire-rescue teams would be challenged, said Stuart Klaskin, a Miami-based aviation consultant.
"The technology to fight fire and remove passengers becomes very stretched, no matter how you look at it," he said. "You're talking about a lot of people in there."
David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, said he doesn't expect passengers to be intimidated by the A380's heft.
"We didn't see much of that when the 747 was introduced, and that was a large leap in size," he said. "People were excited about flying on it. They viewed it like a cruise ship."
On the other hand, the behemoth could become a prime terrorist target, said David Forbes, an aviation security expert based in Evergreen, Colo.
"If terrorists want to kill a lot of people, they're not going to go to a smaller plane if they can pick this off," he said. "This plane is a very big target, it's as simple as that."
Airlines, airports and governments could be strained to provide enough security personnel, Forbes said.
"With a 555-passenger load, it's fairly obvious we're talking multiples of the usual security processes to get people on board, as well as with checkpoints, baggage screening and cargo," he said.
Passengers might face delays at checkpoints, at least until the kinks are worked out, Forbes said.
Another security nightmare: terrorists armed with shoulder-launched missiles. The airlines have yet to decide whether to equip the plane with anti-missile defense systems, he said.
For now, Forbes said, air carriers are "more preoccupied with economic performance than security. And that's very similar to the kind of environment that applied before 9-11."
More capacity, fewer flights
Eventually, the A380 might be stretched to hold close to 1,000 passengers, truly making it a cruise ship in the skies. Because designers actually wanted it to have a luxury ocean liner feel, they built in wide stairways to connect the decks.
More immediately, Airbus is promoting the A380 as the cure to overcrowded airports, saying its ability to haul more than 500 passengers in one hop will allow airlines to reduce the overall number of flights.
However, U.S. carriers, which have been streamlining for the past few years, are shying away from the huge jet because they are seeking to reduce operating costs with smaller planes.
"We're aware of this aircraft, but we're currently focused on our financial situation," said Martha Pantin, spokeswoman for American Airlines, the nation's largest carrier.
Pantin said American Airlines recently had to defer the delivery of more than 50 Boeing planes as a cost-savings measure.
Additionally, some airlines don't want to deal with logistical problems associated with the A380, such as having potentially more than 1,000 passengers flood into gate areas at once -- including the 555 departing and the 555 arriving.
Just the same, in the next three to five years, some U.S. airlines might purchase A380s, particularly those flying long transoceanic routes, such as United and Northwest, Klaskin said.
But that is only if the plane proves to be a moneymaker and a worthy replacement for the 747, he said.
Further into the future, Klaskin said, even low-cost U.S. carriers might operate the A380 on their busiest routes.
"It's a technological marvel," he said. "I think the airplane will make a lot of money for the airlines that operate it."
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I have horrible back problems but I have zero problems staying in an aero position for 180k. Why? Because I ride steep and because I train regularly in that position. Simple as that.....Gerard