Airbus A380
The Airbus A3XX-100 was an entirely new aircraft that was scheduled [as of 1997] to be introduced into service by 2003. The A3XX-100, unlike other currently planned aircraft, will feature a double-deck design capable of holding 555 passengers and 187,000 pounds of cargo when full. The aircraft will be 232 feet long, 79 feet tall, and have a 259-foot wingspan. MTOW will be approximately 1.1 million pounds, supported by a four-strut, 24-wheel main landing gear. A final decision on the aircraft design was expected to occur sometime toward the end of 1998. It was anticipated that the aircraft’s basic shape and size will not change, but changes in its operational characteristics may occur. Engine selection, wing design, and other modifications may result in operating weight changes but should not affect the general size of the aircraft.
The Airbus A3XX-200 is a stretched derivative of the A3XX-100 that was being considered for production after the 100 is introduced. The aircraft would be identical to the 100, except for the addition of a 22-foot fuselage section. This stretch would accommodate an additional 101 passengers, bringing the total passenger capacity up to 656. The MTOW for the 200 will be 1.21 million pounds. As of 1997 the Airbus A3XX-200 was the largest NLA that is being considered for development.
Taking a clean-sheet design for airlines’ operational needs of tomorrow, Airbus developed the A380 as the most spacious and efficient airliner ever conceived. This 525-seat aircraft will deliver an unparalleled level of comfort while retaining all the benefits of commonality with Airbus’ other fly-by-wire aircraft Families. With two full-length decks offering 50% more floor surface than any other high capacity aircraft. Broader seats. More personal storage. Better head room. Wider stairs. All in all, more space for every passenger to relax and appreciate the quietest cabin of any airliner currently flying. The wide open spaces outside the A380 benefit from its design, too. The A380's engine emissions are well below current international limits, contributing to improved air quality around the airports it serves.
Its twin, full-length, wide-bodied cabin has exceptionally efficient air filters. With four high level air outlets instead of the traditional two, the cabin air gets refreshed every three minutes. Which helps passengers to feel fresher, both during and after the flight. There is a fresh approach to its environmental impact, too. With a new wing design and composite materials accounting for 25% of its structural weight, the A380 is a much more efficient aircraft all round. And by producing only about 75g of CO2 per passenger kilometer, the A380 is contributing to the aviation industry's commitment to constraining greenhouse gas emissions.
Two full-length decks with more space for every passenger. 220 windows flooding the cabin with natural light. An onboard noise level that's the lowest of any existing passenger aircraft, quiet enough to significantly reduce fatigue.
But the environmental benefits of the A380 don't just belong to the passengers. The stringent ISO14001 corporate certification awarded to Airbus recognizes our use of a robust Environmental Management System to minimize the environmental impact of the A380, throughout its life cycle.
The Airbus A380 goes to great lengths to make long-haul flying feel more natural. There's the extra space per passenger afforded by its twin, full-length, wide-bodied cabins. The cabin air, recycled every three minutes to keep the atmosphere fresh. The natural light provided by 220 cabin windows. And while the A380 feels more natural inside, the environment outside benefits too. From the dramatically reduced external noise levels. From the lower fuel consumption and significantly improved CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre. From the increased capacity at airports and the reduced need for expansion.
In November 2007 Andrea Rothman and Laurence Frost of Bloomberg reported that Airbus SAS planned to build a 900- seat version of its A380 superjumbo. Emirates, the aircraft's biggest customer, had said it would buy the new model. Airbus will begin developing an A380 ``stretch'' after the standard plane reaches full production in 2010, Chief Operating Officer John Leahy said in an interview. The biggest Arab airline would fit out the plane to carry 750 passengers on a typical flight, Clark said. Routes to countries such as Thailand and Saudi Arabia, destination of the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage, would even support a 1,000-seater plane, though airports might struggle to cope. The stretched superjumbo, to be designated the A380-900, would be developed once the current edition reaches its maximum build rate of 40 planes a year in 2010, Leahy said. The new jetliner would enter the market around 2015, he said.
Airbus projects a market of 1,250 aircraft A380-sized planes over the next twenty years. Boeing expects a market for just 325 such planes. Airbus' break-even for the A380 is 420 planes, 160% of Boeing's market projections. If Boeing is off by 50% on the high side, the market for super jumbos is 488 planes, of which Airbus must sell 86% just to break even. Equally, if Airbus is off 50% on the low side, the super jumbo market is 625 planes, of which Airbus must sell 67% to break even. On top of this, Airbus expects to sell 751 A380s, or 154% of Boeing's 50% upside calculation, and 120% of its own 50% downside calculation.
Boeing cites the current trend in airline customers "focused on point-to-point travel" -- flying non-stop, direct, from origin to destination -- rather than the hub-to-hub travel for which the A380 is designed. Hub-to-hub requires most passengers to board small-airliner regional/"feeder" flights to reach the first hub airport (where large groups of passengers gather to board the A380) then change planes to the A380 and ride it to another hub airport, then again board a connecting small-airliner flight to reach their ultimate destination.
The Boeing Sonic Cruiser proposal was aimed at Airbus, specifically the new 550-seat A380. If Boeing could produce a 300-seat Mach 0.95-0.98 machine with greater than 6,000-n.mi. range and only slightly higher costs, it could transform the economics of airline operations. The first-class, business-class, and high-end economy-class passengers would be drawn into the new machines, leaving behind the low-yield passenger categories for the Airbus A380. Sonic Cruiser’s timing was suspicious to some, who wondered whether Sonic Cruiser was an unripe concept, intended primarily to create doubts about the A380’s future. The proposal may also have helped to prevent Japan from joining the A380 as an industrial partner.
