The world's biggest passenger jet made its first appearance in Sydney yesterday, with big promises from Qantas that the Airbus A380 will revolutionise long-haul air travel when it enters commercial service next year.
 
Plane-spotters punched the air, baggage handlers took smoko breaks and traffic along Qantas Drive slowed to a crawl as the double-decker test aircraft touched down after doing several passes over the Harbour Bridge with a photo-taking Learjet in tow.
 
"The aircraft will do for aviation what the 747 did for aviation 35 years ago," said Qantas's executive general manager, John Borghetti.
 
Big enough to carry 853 passengers, the aircraft has 50 per cent more floor space than a Boeing 747-400. Qantas plans to have "just under" 500 seats in its 12 A380s.
 
Airbus has been keen to point out that the aircraft is half as noisy as a 747. The French-based aircraft maker says the A380's size and fuel efficiency will also mean it will be up to 20 per cent cheaper to operate per seat than a 747.
 
However, Qantas was vague on whether the lower cost of running the aircraft would result in cheaper tickets.
 
"The economy-class passenger fares, for that matter the business class or first class, will still have very competitive fares, as we do today," Mr Borghetti said.
 
Qantas promises the A380 will be more comfortable for passengers in all classes, with lounge areas being fitted.
 
While Mr Borghetti said the economy seats would be "more comfortable", he declined to say if this meant more leg room.
 
Singapore Airlines will start A380 flights between Sydney and London by late next year. Qantas will have the aircraft on the Sydney-Los Angeles route in mid-2007. Given the appeal of using the A380 on long-haul routes, Sydney is expected to be a magnet for the aircraft. Emirates, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are all expected to fly A380s into Sydney.
 
It is also being suggested that the aircraft could one day be used by low-cost airlines.
 
Emirates has already hinted it may use some of its 45 A380s for its yet-to-be-launched low-cost carrier Emirates Express.
 
Asked if he could one day picture Jetstar adding A380s to its fleet, Mr Borghetti said: "In this business you can never predict."
 
The visit is in part intended to appease Qantas over a six-month delay in the planned delivery of its first A380. It will make an appearance at Qantas's 85th birthday bash in Brisbane tomorrow night.
 
John Leahy, head of sales at Airbus, declined to say how much compensation it would have to pay Qantas for the delay.

 
CARRYING kegs of water rather than passengers, the Airbus A380 at present is nothing but a mess of empty decks, exposed wires, pipes and insulation - a long way from the luxury its owners ultimately intend.
The world's biggest passenger plane arrived in Australia over the weekend on its first long-haul test flight. Everything about it is being closely monitored by computers, test pilots and technicians.
 
The water acts as ballast to help measure the effect on performance of a full complement of passengers.
 
Costing $390 million, with a seating capacity of 800, the A380 spans the length and width of a football field.
 
It attracted hundreds of plane spotters when it arrived from Europe, flying from Brisbane to Sydney yesterday morning and making several passes over the Harbour Bridge and Opera House before landing.
 
The plane stands seven storeys high and weighs 560 tonnes, fully loaded. It is set to revolutionise the economics of air travel to and from Australia.
 
Test pilot Captain Jacques Rosay described the plane as "incredible". "You fly the aircraft like a light plane, it is very, very easy to fly."
 
He said the biggest change for the pilots was the interactive nature of the technology, for example, being able to point at objects on the radar screen and then request data.
 
Chief operating officer with Airbus John Leahy said: "Just as the 747 was a game-changing plane for the 20th century, so the A380 is a game-changing plane for the 21st.
 
"The 747 was a great plane for its day, designed to the technical standards of 1968. You didn't have the new tough and light materials, such as carbon fibre. And you didn't have the new fly-by-wire technology which makes flying (the A380) like flying a simulator on your laptop."
 
The A380 can travel 15,000km without refuelling, so Melbourne to Los Angeles non-stop is not a problem.
 
It is half as noisy as a 747, both inside and out.
 
The A380 is due to arrive in Melbourne today at about 12.30pm before returning to Brisbane at about 10am tomorrow, where it will be part of celebrations to mark the 85th birthday of Qantas.
 
Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti said the Qantas fit-out of the planes would provide for just under 500 passengers - 300 less than capacity - with the luxury and space not just confined to first and business class seats.
 
For the first time, lounges will be included in economy class.
 
The first A380 is due to be delivered to Qantas in April 2007, and will begin with flights between Melbourne and LA. A further 11 will be phased in by 2009.
 
New South Wales Minister for Tourism Sandra Nori said the added capacity of the A380 would make it easier, more comfortable and more economical for overseas visitors to travel to Australia.  
 
 
 

 
The A380 takes shape  
in the Asia-Pacific and in France
 
     
 
The A380 touches down in Singapore
 
 
 
The world’s first fully double-decker aircraft, the A380, touched down in Singapore slightly after 10am on Friday, 11th Nov 2005. The 13-hour flight from Toulouse, France was the A380’s first flight to Asia.  
 
To celebrate its arrival, launch carrier, Singapore Airlines, Airbus and Singapore Changi Airport jointly hosted an event to welcome the aircraft and its crew. Singapore’s Minister of Transport, Yeo Cheow Tong was the guest of honour.  
 
 
 
 
As part of the event, guests were invited to view the aircraft interior. The A380 test aircraft was fitted with a few business class seats, while flight-test equipment and ballast tanks filled with water to simulate the weight of a full passenger and cargo load took up the rest of the space.  
 
 
Guests spent the most time in the cockpit area that featured advanced interactive displays and avionic systems.
 
The A380's 1-day visit to Singapore also drew hundreds of onlookers to the airport to catch a glimpse of the world’s largest commercial aircraft.
 
Singapore Airlines will be the first to fly the A380 when it takes to the skies at the end of 2006.  
 
 
The Singapore Airlines A380 takes shape in Toulouse
 
As the aircraft proceeds with its Asia-Pacific tour in Australia, work continues on Singapore Airlines’ A380 aircraft at Airbus' headquarters in Toulouse, France.  
 
Four of Singapore Airlines’ aircraft are at various stages of production on the final assembly line. The first of these will soon be powered up for the first time, following the completion of final structural and systems installations.  
 
The Airline announced its order for 25 A380s (10 firm and 15 on option) in September 2000. The order is worth US$8.6 billion, including the cost of spares and installed engines (but not including the cost of spare engines).  
 
 
 
Correction: “Stay up to date on the SIA A380 Issue 06/05”
 
 
In “Stay up to date on the SIA A380 Issue 06/05”, it was mentioned that the A380 MSN001 arrived in Frankfurt on 29th October. Please be informed that it was the A380 MSN004 and not the initially planned A380 MSN001 that arrived in Frankfurt.

SINGAPORE’S CHANGI AIRPORT WELCOMES THE A380
 
The A380’s initial stopover on its Asia-Pacific tour was greeted by enthusiastic crowds when the aircraft touched down at Changi Airport in Singapore after a 13-hour flight from Airbus’ Toulouse, France headquarters.
 
Today’s landing – the first for an A380 outside of Europe – is symbolic, as Changi is home base to Singapore Airlines, which will be the introductory carrier for commercial service with this 21st century flagship.
 
Following its 10:00 a.m. arrival, the aircraft parked at one of 19 gates being prepared for A380 operations at Changi Airport.  This gate includes a new third passenger loading bridge that gives direct access to the A380’s upper deck.   As soon as the aircraft rolled to a stop, Gate 31’s new loading bridge moved smoothly into position – demonstrating that Changi’s terminal infrastructure is indeed ready for the A380.
 
During today’s Singapore visit, Airbus pilots and executives met with the news media for interviews, and nearly 200 persons had an opportunity to go aboard for their first close-up look at the aircraft.  
 
The A380’s stopover also is being used for airport compatibility evaluations, which includes the network of runways and taxiways that will soon be used by the aircraft in regular airline operations.