For many Durban residents we’ve spent the last week admiring the British Airways’ A380 as it gracefully swept through our skies. But today is the last day their flight crew will be training from King Shaka International Airport before heading to Cape Town tomorrow for a “photo shoot”, then back to the UK with its first passengers.
The A380 is the largest, most modern aircraft, in the British Airways fleet.
British Airways’ A380s can accommodate 469 passengers across four cabins. Customers in First will be seated in the front of the main deck. The cabin offers 14 seats and is evolved from the existing First class.
Club World (business class) passengers can choose from 44 seats on the main deck, or 53 seats on the upper deck. The upper-deck seats will be arranged in a new 2:3:2 configuration across the cabin. The 55 World Traveller Plus (premier economy) seats are located on the upper deck, while World Traveller (economy) passengers can choose from 303 seats on both the main and upper deck.
The aircraft’s innovative design and four Rolls Royce engines make it much quieter during take-off and landing and the cabin has the lowest noise level of any existing passenger aircraft.
The advanced air conditioning system, with 15 different temperature control zones, contributes to reduced noise levels and customer comfort, with cabin air being changed every three minutes. In addition the A380 offers exceptional fuel efficiency compared to the aircraft it is replacing.
The A380 services will initially operate three times a week from London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 to OR Tambo, increasing to six weekly services by March 2014.
Since British Airways took delivery of its first superjumbo earlier in July last year Johannesburg is only the third A380 route to be confirmed after Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Another two aircraft, from a total order of 12, are due to be delivered.
For a virtual tour of British Airways’ A380 visit http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/flight-information/airbus-a380