Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Airbus 380

September 20, 2012

My plane at Seoul airport
 As a frequent flyer it is a special treat to have a new aviation experience. On my way home from Hong Kong I had my first two flights on the Airbus 380-800, the world's largest passenger airliner.


Introduced in 2007, it has 49% more floor space than the next largest commercial plane, the 747-400. The Airbus 380 has a range of 9,600 miles, and it can fly non-stop from New York to Hong Kong. Like the 747, it is a double decker, but it can accommodate between 500 and 800 passengers depending on the ratio of business to economy class seats. In the plane on which I flew, the upper deck was all business class,

Upper deck interior

The Sky Lounge before takeoff
and the rear of the upper deck had a "sky lounge" with a full bar. The thing that I noticed and appreciated most was its quietude. The engines are much quieter to begin with, but being on the upper deck adds a layer of sound insulation. On a 14 hour flight, the decreased noise reduces stress and wear and tear on the passengers.

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