Just a MoJo

How often have you been sitting on a full flight with two screaming children, one in front of you and the other kicking the back of your seat? Well, the designers and engineers who inaugurated the “cruise ship of the sky,” Airbus’ new A380, hope that you will be able forget about screaming children and enjoy yourself on the $319 million airliner.

Designers familiar with the A380 project note that Airbus officials have often boasted that while on board, passengers can work out, gamble, sleep or even go through a brisk course of shopping in the Air Arcade.The Double Deck airliner will be capable of holding 853 passengers in an all coach configuration (very similar to those found on US discount carriers) or the more reasonable 555 passengers in a three class configuration and a crew of roughly 30.

555 people and only 15 bathrooms? It seems that some things in air travel never change!

Airbus planned a trip from Frankfurt to Washington’s Dulles International Airport so that the media could fly onboard along with many Airline industry VIPs in hopes that US based airlines might place orders for the extraordinarily large plane. One journalist who flew onboard the A380 reported that in first cabin, life was good, however those on the main deck were frequently complaining about the “queue for the loo.” Apparently some things never change in the airline industry.

One of the largest concerns that has plagued the A380 product launch since its inception is the issue of hundreds upon hundreds of passengers showing up at a gate area at the same time. Just imagine the security lines prior to the departure of an A380. To handle the ginormous aircraft, many of the US’s major airports have had to strengthen runways, taxiways and develop two story jet bridges. Many airport planning engineers have been forced to reexamine airport structures along taxiways due to the aircraft’s unusually large 261 foot wingspan.

Aside from concerns stemming from 555 people descending upon a single part of an airport at a single time, many pilots are worried about the aircraft’s wake. Just as a boat or ship leaves a wake in its trail, large aircraft leave a similar wake, which can create turbulence for aircraft following them on takeoff or landing.

Currently, according to FAA regulations, pilots and air traffic controllers must follow large aircraft (757’s and above) in two minute intervals to avoid the worst part of wake turbulence. Some skeptics believe that air traffic will come to a snarling halt, just as it did for the takeoff or landing of the supersonic Concorde, due to the sheer amount of turbulence created by the A380.

According to the Airbus media publications, they currently have 127 orders for the A380, due to launch at the end of this year or perhaps early 2008. Other estimates put the number of orders as high as 158, including one non-airline VIP order. However, due to delays in production, several of the airlines have put their orders on hold.

Germany’s Lufthansa will be the first airline to include the A380 in its regular schedule to the United States. No US based airlines have placed orders for the A380.