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| The World’s largest passenger jet - the Airbus A380 - is set to take flight this month |
After 13 years of planning and development, the massive new Airbus A380 arrived in Singapore this week - nearly 2 years late and a few billions of dollars over budget. But that could not stop the hype and the enthusiasm of airline buffs around the world.
Singapore Airlines will take the A380 with its first paying passengers on October 28 between Singapore and Sydney. The airline held an auction for the first flight where the top first class suite went for a whopping US$103,000 or more than 10 times the normal first class flight and over 100 times the average coach price. Now there is an eager flier! So far the nearly $2 million raised will go to three great charities - Singapore Community Chest, Sydney Children’s Hospital and Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders
I had a chance to see a demonstration version on the plane landing in Singapore last year and it was quite a sight. The plane rolled over a bridge just as my taxi was set to go under. Our driver pulled over in amazement and started snapping pictures on his phone (come to think of it, after that nice tip he was going to email me those pics…) Oh well. Here are some stats on its massive size:
According to Wikipedia, The plane is nearly the length of an American football field:
• Length: 239.6 feet (73m)
• Height: 79 feet (24m)
• Takeoff Weight: 1,200,000lbs (560,000kg)
The double decker plane can be configured to seat up to 850 people. Singapore Airlines has announced their version will carry a mere 471 passengers – 12 First, 60 Business and 399 in coach.
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| Singapore’s First Class is the best in the sky, so save your pennies. |
As of today, no US-based airline has ordered the A380 and there are no current plans for the A380 to fly to the states, though airports such as LAX, JFK and Chicago are gearing up to accept the plane.
UPDATE
Check back on the blog – Viator Business Development Director, Luke Crosthwaite, is set to travel on the A-380 in the next few weeks and will file a first-hand report. You can also check out photos of Singapore tours over on the Viator Flickr site.
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