"A380" redirects here. For other uses, see A380 (disambiguation).

A380
300px
An Emirates A380 on final approach to land at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport
Role | Wide-body, double-deck jet airliner
National origin | Multi-national
Manufacturer | Airbus
First flight | 27 April 2005
Introduction | 25 October 2007 with Singapore Airlines
Status | In service
Primary users | Emirates Singapore Airlines Qantas Lufthansa See Operators section for others
Produced | 2004?present
Number built | 89 as of October 2012[update][1]
Unit cost | US$389.9 million[2] (approx. €300 million or GB£252 million)

The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and, due to its size, many airports have had to expand their facilities to properly accommodate it. Designed to challenge Boeing's monopoly in the large-aircraft market, the A380 made its initial flight on 27 April 2005 and entered initial commercial service in October 2007 with Singapore Airlines. The aircraft was known as the Airbus A3XX during much of its development, before receiving the A380 designation.

The A380's upper deck extends along the entire length of the fuselage, with a width equivalent to a wide-body aircraft. This allows for an A380-800's cabin with 478 square metres (5,145.1 sq ft) of floor space; 49% more floor space than the next-largest airliner, the Boeing 747-400 with 321 square metres (3,455.2 sq ft), and provides seating for 525 people in a typical three-class configuration or up to 853 people in all-economy class configurations. The A380-800 has a design range of 15,400 kilometres (8,300 nmi; 9,600 mi), sufficient to fly from New York to Hong Kong, and a cruising speed of Mach?0.85 (about 900 km/h or 560 mph at cruising altitude).

As of October 2012[update] there had been 262 firm orders for the A380, of which 89 have been delivered.[1] The largest order, for 90 aircraft, was from Emirates.

## Development[edit]

### Background[edit]

In the summer of 1988, a group of Airbus engineers led by Jean Roeder began work in secret on the development of an ultra-high-capacity airliner (UHCA), both to complete its own range of products and to break the dominance that Boeing had enjoyed in this market segment since the early 1970s with its 747.[3] McDonnell Douglas unsuccessfully offered its smaller, double-deck MD-12 concept for sale.[4][5] Roeder was given approval for further evaluations of the UHCA after a formal presentation to the President and CEO in June 1990. The megaproject was announced at the 1990 Farnborough Air Show, with the stated goal of 15% lower operating costs than the 747-400.[6] Airbus organised four teams of designers, one from each of its partners (A?rospatiale, Deutsche Aerospace AG, British Aerospace, CASA) to propose new technologies for its future aircraft designs. The designs would be presented in 1992 and the most competitive designs would be used.[7]

In January 1993, Boeing and several companies in the Airbus consortium started a joint feasibility study of an aircraft known as the Very Large Commercial Transport (VLCT), aiming to form a partnership to share the limited market.[8][9] This joint study was abandoned two years later, Boeing's interest having declined because analysts thought that such a product was unlikely to cover the projected $15 billion development cost. Despite the fact that only two airlines had expressed public interest in purchasing such a plane, Airbus was already pursuing its own large plane project. Analysts suggested that Boeing instead would pursue stretching its 747 design, and that air travel was already moving away from the hub and spoke system that consolidated traffic into large planes, and toward more non-stop routes that could be served by smaller planes.[10]

The first completed A380 at the "A380 Reveal" event held in Toulouse, France, 18 January 2005

In June 1994 Airbus announced its plan to develop its own very large airliner, designated the A3XX.[11][12] Airbus considered several designs, including an odd side-by-side combination of two fuselages from the A340, which was Airbus's largest jet at the time.[13] The A3XX was pitted against the VLCT study and Boeing's own New Large Aircraft successor to the 747.[14][15] From 1997 to 2000, as the East Asian financial crisis darkened the market outlook, Airbus refined its design, targeting a 15?20% reduction in operating costs over the existing Boeing 747-400. The A3XX design converged on a double-decker layout that provided more passenger volume than a traditional single-deck design,[16][17] in line with traditional hub-and-spoke theory as opposed to the point-to-point theory of the Boeing 777,[18] after conducting an extensive market analysis with over 200 focus groups.[19][20]

On 19 December 2000, the supervisory board of newly restructured Airbus voted to launch an ?8.8-billion programme to build the A3XX, re-christened as the A380,[21][22] with 50 firm orders from six launch customers.[23][24] The A380 designation was a break from previous Airbus families, which had progressed sequentially from A300 to A340. It was chosen because the number 8 resembles the double-deck cross section, and is a lucky number in some Asian countries where the aircraft was being marketed.[13] The aircraft configuration was finalised in early 2001, and manufacturing of the first A380 wing box component started on 23 January 2002. The development cost of the A380 had grown to ?11?billion when the first aircraft was completed.

### Production[edit]

Geographical logistics sequence for the A380, with final assembly in Toulouse

Major structural sections of the A380 are built in France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Due to their size, traditional transportation methods proved unfeasible,[25] so they are brought to the assembly hall (the Jean-Luc Lagard?re Plant) in Toulouse in France by specialized surface transportation, though some parts are moved by the A300-600ST Beluga aircraft used in the construction of other Airbus models.[26] A380 components are provided by suppliers from around the world; the five largest contributors, by value, are Rolls-Royce, Safran, United Technologies, General Electric and Goodrich.[19]

For the surface movement of large A380 structural components, a complex route known as the Itin?raire ? Grand Gabarit was developed. This involved the construction of a fleet of roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ships and barges, the construction of port facilities and the development of new and modified roads to accommodate oversized road convoys.[27] The front and rear fuselage sections are shipped on one of three RORO ships from Hamburg in northern Germany to the United Kingdom.[28] The wings are manufactured at Filton in Bristol and Broughton in North Wales, then transported by barge to Mostyn docks, where the ship adds them to its cargo.[29]

A380 components on a barge

In Saint-Nazaire in western France, the ship trades the fuselage sections from Hamburg for larger, assembled sections, some of which include the nose. The ship unloads in Bordeaux. The ship then picks up the belly and tail sections from Construcciones Aeron?uticas SA in C?diz in southern Spain, and delivers them to Bordeaux. From there, the A380 parts are transported by barge to Langon, and by oversize road convoys to the assembly hall in Toulouse.[30] The parts are not handled directly.[25]

After assembly, the aircraft are flown to Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport (XFW) to be furnished and painted. It takes 3,600 L (950 US gal) of paint to cover the 3,100 m2 (33,000 sq ft) exterior of an A380.[31] Airbus sized the production facilities and supply chain for a production rate of four A380s per month.[29]

### Testing[edit]

A380 MSN001 about to land after its maiden flight

Five A380s were built for testing and demonstration purposes.[32] The first A380, serial number MSN001 and registration F-WWOW, was unveiled in Toulouse 18 January 2005.[33] Its first flight took place at 10:29?am local time (08:29 UTC) on 27 April 2005.[34] This plane, equipped with Trent 900 engines, flew from Toulouse Blagnac International Airport with a crew of six headed by chief test pilot Jacques Rosay. After landing, 3 hours 54 minutes later, Rosay said flying the A380 had been "like handling a bicycle".[35]

On 1 December 2005 the A380 achieved its maximum design speed of Mach?0.96, over its design cruise speed of Mach?0.85, in a shallow dive, completing the opening of the flight envelope.[32] In 2006 the A380 flew its first high-altitude test at Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa. It conducted its second high-altitude test at the same airport in 2009.[36] On 10 January 2006 it flew to Jos? Mar?a C?rdova International Airport in Colombia, accomplishing the transatlantic testing, and then it went to El Dorado International Airport to test the engine operation in high-altitude airports. It arrived in North America on 6 February 2006, landing in Iqaluit, Nunavut in Canada for cold-weather testing.[37]

Flight test engineer's station on the lower deck of A380 F-WWOW

On 14 February 2006, during the destructive wing strength certification test on MSN5000, the test wing of the A380 failed at 145% of the limit load, short of the required 150% level. Airbus announced modifications adding 30?kg to the wing to provide the required strength.[38] On 26 March 2006 the A380 underwent evacuation certification in Hamburg. With 8 of the 16 exits arbitrarily blocked, 853 mixed passengers and 20 crew left the darkened aircraft in 78 seconds, less than the 90 seconds required for certification.[39][40] Three days later, the A380 received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to carry up to 853 passengers.[41]

The first A380 using GP7200 engines?serial number MSN009 and registration F-WWEA?flew on 25 August 2006.[42][43] On 4 September 2006 the first full passenger-carrying flight test took place.[44] The aircraft flew from Toulouse with 474 Airbus employees on board, in the first of a series of flights to test passenger facilities and comfort.[44] In November 2006 a further series of route-proving flights demonstrated the aircraft's performance for 150 flight hours under typical airline operating conditions.[45]

Airbus obtained type certificates for the A380-841 and A380-842 model from the EASA and FAA on 12 December 2006 in a joint ceremony at the company's French headquarters,[46][47] receiving the ICAO code A388.[48] The A380-861 model obtained its type certificate on 14 December 2007.[47]

### Production and delivery delays[edit]

Initial production of the A380 was troubled by delays attributed to the 530 km (330 mi) of wiring in each aircraft. Airbus cited as underlying causes the complexity of the cabin wiring (98,000 wires and 40,000 connectors), its concurrent design and production, the high degree of customisation for each airline, and failures of configuration management and change control.[49][50] The German and Spanish Airbus facilities continued to use CATIA version?4, while British and French sites migrated to version?5.[51] This caused overall configuration management problems, at least in part because wiring harnesses manufactured using aluminium rather than copper conductors necessitated special design rules including non-standard dimensions and bend radii; these were not easily transferred between versions of the software.[52]

A380 in original Airbus livery

Airbus announced the first delay in June 2005 and notified airlines that deliveries would be delayed by six months.[51] This reduced the total number of planned deliveries by the end of 2009 from about 120 to 90?100. On 13 June 2006 Airbus announced a second delay, with the delivery schedule slipping an additional six to seven months.[53] Although the first delivery was still planned before the end of 2006, deliveries in 2007 would drop to only 9 aircraft, and deliveries by the end of 2009 would be cut to 70?80 aircraft. The announcement caused a 26% drop in the share price of Airbus' parent, EADS,[54] and led to the departure of EADS CEO No?l Forgeard, Airbus CEO Gustav Humbert, and A380 programme manager Charles Champion.[51][55] On 3 October 2006, upon completion of a review of the A380 program, Airbus CEO Christian Streiff announced a third delay,[51] pushing the first delivery to October 2007, to be followed by 13 deliveries in 2008, 25 in 2009, and the full production rate of 45 aircraft per year in 2010.[56] The delay also increased the earnings shortfall projected by Airbus through 2010 to ?4.8?billion.[51][57]

As Airbus prioritised the work on the A380-800 over the A380F,[58] freighter orders were cancelled by FedEx[59][60] and UPS,[61] or converted to A380-800 by Emirates and ILFC.[62] Airbus suspended work on the freighter version, but said it remained on offer,[63] albeit without a service entry date.[64] For the passenger version Airbus negotiated a revised delivery schedule and compensation with the 13 customers, all of which retained their orders with some placing subsequent orders, including Emirates,[65] Singapore Airlines,[66] Qantas,[67] Air France,[68] Qatar Airways,[69] and Korean Air.[70]

On 13 May 2008 Airbus announced reduced deliveries for the years 2008 (12) and 2009 (21).[71] After further manufacturing setbacks, Airbus announced its plan to deliver 14 A380s in 2009, down from the previously revised target of 18.[72] A total of 10 A380s were delivered in 2009.[73] In 2010 Airbus delivered only 18 of the expected 20 A380s, due to Rolls-Royce engine availability problems.[74] Airbus planned to deliver "between 20 and 25" A380s in 2011 before ramping up to three a month in 2012.[74] In the event, Airbus delivered 26 units, thus outdoing its predicted output for the first time. As of July 2012[update], production was 3 aircraft per month. Among the production problems are challenging interiors, interiors being installed sequentially rather than concurrently like in smaller planes, and union/government objections to streamlining.[75]

### Entry into service[edit]

Dubbed the Superjumbo by the media[76] the first aircraft, MSN003, (registered as 9V-SKA) was delivered to Singapore Airlines on 15 October 2007 and entered service on 25 October 2007 with flight number SQ380 between Singapore and Sydney.[9][77] Passengers bought seats in a charity online auction paying between $560 and $100,380.[78] Two months later, Singapore Airlines CEO Chew Choong Seng stated the A380 was performing better than both the airline and Airbus had anticipated, burning 20% less fuel per passenger than the airline's 747-400 fleet.[79] Emirates' Tim Clark claims that the A380 is more fuel economic at Mach 0.86 than at 0.83.[80]

A Singapore Airlines A380 lines up for take-off at Z?rich Airport

Emirates was the second airline to receive the A380 and commenced services between Dubai and New York in August 2008.[81][82] Qantas followed on 19 September 2008, starting flights between Melbourne and Los Angeles in October 2008.[83] By the end of 2008, 890,000 passengers had flown on 2,200 flights totalling 21,000 hours.[84]

In February 2009 the one millionth passenger was flown with Singapore Airlines[85] and by May of that year 1,500,000 passengers had flown on 4,200 flights totalling 41,000 hours.[86] Air France received its first A380 in October 2009.[87][88] Lufthansa received its first A380 in May 2010.[89] By July 2010, the 31 A380s then in service had transported 6 million passengers on 17,000 flights totalling over 156,000 hours between 20 international destinations.[90]

### Post-delivery cracks[edit]

During repairs following the Qantas Flight 32 engine failure incident, cracks were discovered in fittings within the wings. As a result of the discovery, EASA issued an Airworthiness Directive in January 2012 affecting 20 A380 aircraft that had accumulated over 1,300 flights.[91] A380s with under 1,800 flight hours were to be inspected within 6 weeks or 84 flights; aircraft with over 1,800 flight hours were to be examined within four days or 14 flights.[92][93][94] Fittings found to be cracked were being replaced following the inspections to maintain structural integrity.[95] On 8 February 2012, the checks were extended to cover all 68 A380 aircraft in operation. The problem is considered to be minor and is not expected to affect operations.[96] EADS acknowledged that the cost of repairs would be over $130 million, to be borne by Airbus. The company said the problem was traced to stress and material used for the fittings.[97] Additionally, major airlines are seeking compensation from Airbus for revenue lost as a result of the cracks and subsequent grounding of fleets.[98]

## Design[edit]

### Overview[edit]

The A380 cabin cross section, showing economy class seating in green

The A380 was initially offered in two models. The A380-800 original configuration carried 555 passengers in a three-class configuration[99] or 853 passengers (538 on the main deck and 315 on the upper deck) in a single-class economy configuration. In May 2007 Airbus began marketing a configuration with 30 fewer passengers, (525 total in three classes), traded for 370 km (200 nmi) more range, to better reflect trends in premium class accommodation.[100] The design range for the ?800 model is 15,400 km (8,300 nmi);[101] capable of flying from Hong Kong to New York or from Sydney to Istanbul non-stop. The second model, the A380F freighter, would carry 150?tonnes of cargo 10,400 km (5,600 nmi).[102] The freighter development was put on hold as Airbus prioritised the passenger version and all cargo orders were cancelled. Future variants may include an A380-900 stretch seating about 656 passengers (or up to 960 passengers in an all economy configuration) and an extended-range version with the same passenger capacity as the A380-800.[13]

According to TIME magazine:

> The lack of engine noise?it's 50% quieter than a 747-400 on takeoff?was downright eerie. The A380 is so big it's difficult to sense its speed, and its upper deck is so far away from the engines the noise dissipates.

> —[103]

The A380's wing is sized for a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) over 650?tonnes in order to accommodate these future versions, albeit with some strengthening required.[13][104] The stronger wing (and structure) would be used on the A380F freighter. This common design approach sacrifices some fuel efficiency (due to a weight penalty) on the A380-800 passenger model, but Airbus estimates that the size of the aircraft, coupled with the advances in technology described below, will provide lower operating costs per passenger than the 747-400 and older 747 variants. The A380 also includes wingtip fences similar to those found on the A310 and A320 to reduce induced drag, increasing fuel efficiency and performance.[105]

### Engines[edit]

A Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine on the wing of an Airbus A380

The A380 is available with two types of turbofan engines, the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 (variants A380-841, ?842 and ?843F) or the Engine Alliance GP7000 (A380-861 and ?863F). The Trent 900 is a derivative of the Trent 800, and the GP7000 has roots from the GE90 and PW4000. The Trent 900 core is a scaled version of the Trent 500, but incorporates the swept fan technology of the stillborn Trent 8104.[106] The GP7200 has a GE90-derived core and PW4090-derived fan and low-pressure turbo-machinery.[107] Noise reduction was an important requirement in the A380 design, and particularly affects engine design.[108][109] Both engine types allow the aircraft to achieve well under the QC/2 departure and QC/0.5 arrival noise limits under the Quota Count system set by London Heathrow Airport,[110] which is a key destination for the A380.[13]

The A380 was initially planned without thrust reversers, incorporating sufficient braking capacity to do without them.[111] However Airbus elected to equip the two inboard engines with thrust reversers in a late stage of development.[112][113] The two outboard engines do not have reversers, reducing the amount of debris stirred up during landing. The A380 has electrically actuated thrust reversers, giving them better reliability than their pneumatic or hydraulic equivalents, in addition to saving weight.[114]

The A380 was used to demonstrate the viability of a synthetic fuel comprising standard jet fuel with a natural-gas-derived component. On 1 February 2008, a three-hour test flight operated between Britain and France, with one of the A380's four engines using a mix of 60% standard jet kerosene and 40% gas to liquids (GTL) fuel supplied by Shell.[115] The aircraft needed no modification to use the GTL fuel, which was designed to be mixed with normal jet fuel. Sebastien Remy, head of Airbus SAS's alternative fuel programme, said the GTL used was no cleaner in CO2 terms than standard fuel but it had local air quality benefits because the GTL portion contains no sulphur.[116]

A planform view of an Airbus A380 belonging to Singapore Airlines

### Advanced materials[edit]

While most of the fuselage is aluminium, composite materials comprise more than 20% of the A380's airframe.[117] Carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, glass-fibre reinforced plastic and quartz-fibre reinforced plastic are used extensively in wings, fuselage sections (such as the undercarriage and rear end of fuselage), tail surfaces, and doors.[118][119][120] The A380 is the first commercial airliner to have a central wing box made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic. It is also the first to have a smoothly contoured wing cross section. The wings of other commercial airliners are partitioned span-wise into sections. This flowing, continuous cross section optimises aerodynamic efficiency. Thermoplastics are used in the leading edges of the slats.[121] The composite material GLARE (GLAss-REinforced fibre metal laminate) is used in the upper fuselage and on the stabilisers' leading edges.[122] This aluminium-glass-fibre laminate is lighter and has better corrosion and impact resistance than conventional aluminium alloys used in aviation.[123] Unlike earlier composite materials, GLARE can be repaired using conventional aluminium repair techniques.[124]

Newer weldable aluminium alloys are also used. This enables the widespread use of laser beam welding manufacturing techniques, eliminating rows of rivets and resulting in a lighter, stronger structure.[125] High-strength aluminium (type 7449)[126] reinforced with carbon fiber is being used in the wing brackets of the first 120 A380s to reduce weight, but cracks have been discovered and the new sets of the more critical brackets will be made of regular aluminium 7010, increasing weight by 90?kg.[127] Repair costs are expected to be around EUR?500 million (USD$629 million).[128]

### Avionics[edit]

The A380 employs an Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architecture, first used in advanced military aircraft, such as the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II,[129] and Dassault Rafale.[130] The main IMA systems on the A380 were developed by the Thales Group.[131] Designed and developed by Airbus, Thales and Diehl Aerospace, the IMA suite was first used on the A380. The suite is a technological innovation, with networked computing modules to support different applications.[131] The data communication networks use Avionics Full-Duplex Switched Ethernet, an implementation of ARINC 664. The data networks are switched, full-duplex, star-topology and based on 100baseTX fast-Ethernet.[132] This reduces the amount of wiring required and minimises latency.[133]

Front fuselage view of A380

Airbus used similar cockpit layout, procedures and handling characteristics to other Airbus aircraft, reducing crew training costs. The A380 has an improved glass cockpit, using fly-by-wire flight controls linked to side-sticks.[134][135] The cockpit has eight 15 by 20 cm (5.9 by 7.9 in) liquid crystal displays, all physically identical and interchangeable; comprising two Primary Flight Displays, two navigation displays, one engine parameter display, one system display and two Multi-Function Displays. The MFDs were introduced on the A380 to provide an easy-to-use interface to the flight management system?replacing three multifunction control and display units.[136] They include QWERTY keyboards and trackballs, interfacing with a graphical "point-and-click" display system.[137][138]

The Network Systems Server (NSS) is the heart of A380's paperless cockpit; it eliminates bulky manuals and charts traditionally used.[139][140] The NSS has enough inbuilt robustness to eliminate onboard backup paper documents. The A380's network and server system stores data and offers electronic documentation, providing a required equipment list, navigation charts, performance calculations, and an aircraft logbook. This is accessed through the MFDs and controlled via the keyboard interface.[133]

A380 flight deck

Power-by-wire flight control actuators have been used for the first time in civil aviation to back up primary hydraulic actuators. Also, during certain manoeuvres they augment the primary actuators.[141] They have self-contained hydraulic and electrical power supplies. Electro-hydrostatic actuators (EHA) are used in the aileron and elevator, electric and hydraulic motors to drive the slats as well as electrical backup hydrostatic actuators (EBHA) for the rudder and some spoilers.[142]

The A380's 350?bar (35?MPa or 5,000?psi) hydraulic system is a significant difference from the typical 210?bar (21?MPa or 3,000?psi) hydraulics used on most commercial aircraft since the 1940s.[143][144] First used in military aircraft, high-pressure hydraulics reduce the weight and size of pipelines, actuators and related components. The 350?bar pressure is generated by eight de-clutchable hydraulic pumps.[144][145] The hydraulic lines are typically made from titanium; the system features both fuel- and air-cooled heat exchangers. Self-contained electrically powered hydraulic power packs serve as backups for the primary systems, instead of a secondary hydraulic system, saving weight and reducing maintenance.[146]

The A380 uses four 150?kVA variable-frequency electrical generators,[147] eliminating constant-speed drives and improving reliability.[148] The A380 uses aluminium power cables instead of copper for weight reduction. The electrical power system is fully computerised and many contactors and breakers have been replaced by solid-state devices for better performance and increased reliability.[142]

### Passenger provisions[edit]

Main article: Seat configurations of the Airbus A380
Business class on the upper deck of an Emirates A380

The cabin has features to reduce traveller fatigue such as a quieter interior and higher pressurisation than previous aircraft; the A380 has 50% less cabin noise than the 747-400 and is pressurised to the equivalent of 1,520 m (5,000 ft) altitude versus 2,440 m (8,000 ft) on the 747-400.[149][150] The A380 has 50% more cabin area and volume, larger windows, bigger overhead bins, and 60 cm (2.0 ft) extra headroom versus the 747-400.[151] Seating options range from 4-abreast in first class to 11-across in economy.[152][153] On other aircraft, economy seats range from 41.5 cm (16.3 in) to 52.3 cm (20.6 in) in width,[154] A380 economy seats are up to 48 cm (19 in) wide in a 10-abreast configuration;[155] compared with the 10-abreast configuration on the 747-400 which typically has seats 44.5 cm (17.5 in) wide.[156]

Economy class on the main deck of an Air France A380

The A380's upper and lower decks are connected by two stairways, fore and aft, wide enough to accommodate two passengers side-by-side; this cabin arrangement allows multiple seat configurations. The maximum certified carrying capacity is 853 passengers in an all-economy-class layout,[39] Airbus lists the typical three-class layout as accommodating 525 passengers, with 10 first, 76 business, and 439 economy class seats.[100] Airline configurations range from Korean Air's 407 passengers to Air Austral's 840 passengers.[157][158] The A380's interior illumination system uses bulbless LEDs in the cabin, cockpit, and cargo decks. The LEDs in the cabin can be altered to create an ambience simulating daylight, night, or intermediate levels.[159] On the outside of the aircraft, HID lighting is used for brighter illumination.

Airbus' publicity has stressed the comfort and space of the A380 cabin,[160] and advertised onboard relaxation areas such as bars, beauty salons, duty-free shops, and restaurants.[161][162] Proposed amenities resembled those installed on earlier airliners, particularly 1970s wide-body jets,[163] which largely gave way to regular seats for more passenger capacity.[163] Airbus has acknowledged that some cabin proposals were unlikely to be installed,[162] and that it was ultimately the airlines' decision how to configure the interior.[163] Industry analysts suggested that implementing customisation has slowed the production speeds, and raised costs.[164] Due to delivery delays, Singapore Airlines and Air France debuted their seat designs on different aircraft prior to the A380.[165][166]

Bar on an Emirates A380

Initial operators typically configured their A380s for three-class service, while adding extra features for passengers in premium cabins. Launch customer Singapore Airlines debuted partly enclosed first class suites on its A380s in 2007, each featuring a leather seat with a separate bed; center suites could be joined to create a double bed.[167][168][169] A year later, Qantas debuted a new first class seat-bed and a sofa lounge at the front of the upper deck on its A380s.[170][171] In late 2008, Emirates introduced "shower spas" in first class on its A380s,[172] along with a bar lounge and seating area on the upper deck,[173][174] and in 2009 Air France unveiled an upper deck electronic art gallery.[152] In addition to lounge areas, some A380 operators have installed amenities consistent with other aircraft in their respective fleets, including self-serve snack bars,[175] premium economy sections,[166] and redesigned business class seating.[165]

### Integration with infrastructure and regulations[edit]

#### Ground operations[edit]

An A380 served by three separate jetways at Frankfurt Airport in 2007: two for the main deck and one for the upper deck.

In the 1990s, aircraft manufacturers were planning to introduce larger planes than the Boeing 747. In a common effort of the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, with manufacturers, airports and its member agencies, the "80-metre box" was created, the airport gates allowing planes up to 80 m (260 ft) wingspan and length to be accommodated.[176] Airbus designed the A380 according to these guidelines,[177][178][179] and to operate safely on Group V runways and taxiways with a 60 metre loadbearing width,[180] and while the U.S. FAA opposed this at an early stage,[181][182] in July 2007, the FAA and EASA agreed to let the A380 operate on 45?m runways without restrictions.[183] The A380-800 is approximately 30% larger in overall size than the 747-400.[184][185] Runway lighting and signage may need changes to provide clearance to the wings and avoid blast damage from the engines. Runways, runway shoulders and taxiway shoulders may be required to be stabilised to reduce the likelihood of foreign object damage caused to (or by) the outboard engines, which overhang more than 25 m (82 ft) from the centre line of the aircraft,[177][180][186] compared to 21 m (69 ft) for the 747[187]/747-8.[188]

The A380's 20-wheel main landing gear

Airbus measured pavement loads using a 540-tonne (595?short tons) ballasted test rig, designed to replicate the landing gear of the A380. The rig was towed over a section of pavement at Airbus' facilities that had been instrumented with embedded load sensors.[189] It was determined that the pavement of most runways will not need to be reinforced despite the higher weight,[186] as it is distributed on more wheels than in other passenger aircraft with a total of 22 wheels.[190] The A380 undercarriage consists of four main landing gear legs and one noseleg (a similar layout to the 747), with the two inboard landing gear legs each supporting six wheels.[190]

The A380 requires service vehicles with lifts capable of reaching the upper deck,[191] as well as tractors capable of handling the A380's maximum ramp weight.[192] Using two jetway bridges the boarding time is 45 min, using an extra jetway to the upper deck it is reduced to 34 min.[193] The A380 test aircraft have participated in a campaign of airport compatibility testing to verify the modifications already made at several large airports, visiting a number of airports around the world.[194]

#### Takeoff and landing separation[edit]

Sorry, your browser either has JavaScript disabled or does not have any supported player.
You can download the clip or download a player to play the clip in your browser.
">
A video of an A380 taxiing

In 2005, the ICAO recommended that provisional separation criteria for the A380 on takeoff and landing be substantially greater than for the 747 because preliminary flight test data suggested a stronger wake turbulence.[195][196] These criteria were in effect while the ICAO's wake vortex steering group, with representatives from the JAA, Eurocontrol, the FAA, and Airbus, refined its 3-year study of the issue with additional flight testing. In September 2006, the working group presented its first conclusions to the ICAO.[197][198]

In November 2006, the ICAO issued new interim recommendations. Replacing a blanket 10 nautical miles (19 km) separation for aircraft trailing an A380 during approach, the new distances were 6 nmi (11 km), 8 nmi (15 km) and 10 nmi (19 km) respectively for non-A380 "Heavy", "Medium", and "Light" ICAO aircraft categories. These compared with the 4 nmi (7.4 km), 5 nmi (9.3 km) and 6 nmi (11 km) spacing applicable to other "Heavy" aircraft. Another A380 following an A380 should maintain a separation of 4 nmi (7.4 km). On departure behind an A380, non-A380 "Heavy" aircraft are required to wait two minutes, and "Medium"/"Light" aircraft three minutes for time based operations. The ICAO also recommends that pilots append the term "Super" to the aircraft's callsign when initiating communication with air traffic control, in order to distinguish the A380 from "Heavy" aircraft.[199]

In August 2008, the ICAO issued revised approach separations of 4 nmi (7.4 km) for Super (another A380), 6 nmi (11 km) for Heavy, 7 nmi (13 km) for medium/small, and 8 nmi (15 km) for light.[200] In November 2008, an incident on a parallel runway during crosswinds made the Australian authorities change procedures for those conditions.[201]

## Future variants[edit]

### Improved A380-800[edit]

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 on take off from Zurich Airport.

From 2013, Airbus will introduce a new A380 build standard incorporating a strengthened airframe structure and a 1.5? increase in wing twist. Airbus will also offer, as an option, an improved maximum take-off weight, thus providing a better payload/range performance. Maximum take-off weight is increased by 4 t (8,800 lb), to 573 t (1,260,000 lb) and an additional 190?km (100 nmi) in range. This is achieved by reducing flight loads, partly from optimising the fly-by-wire control laws.[202] British Airways and Emirates are to be the first two customers to receive this new option.[203] Vietnam Airlines has shown interest in the higher-weight variant.[204]

### A380-900[edit]

In November 2007, Airbus top sales executive and chief operating officer John Leahy confirmed plans for an enlarged variant, the A380-900, which would have more passenger space than the A380-800, whose type example to Singapore Airlines has 471.[205] This version would have a seating capacity of 650 passengers in standard configuration, and approximately 900 passengers in economy-only configuration. In May 2010, Airbus announced that A380-900 development was postponed, until production of the A380-800 has stabilised.[206] Airlines that have expressed interest in the model include Emirates,[207] Virgin Atlantic,[208] Cathay Pacific,[209] Air France-KLM, Lufthansa,[210] Kingfisher Airlines,[211] as well as the leasing company ILFC.[212]

### A380F[edit]

Airbus originally accepted orders for the freighter version, offering the second largest payload capacity of any cargo aircraft, exceeded only by the Antonov An-225.[213] An aerospace consultant has estimated that the A380F would have 7% better payload and better range than the 747-8F, but also higher trip costs.[214] However, production has been suspended until the A380 production lines have settled with no firm availability date.[58][59][60]

## Market[edit]

Prototype at the 2005 Paris Air Show

In 2006, industry analysts Philip Lawrence of the Aerospace Research Centre in Bristol and Richard Aboulafia of the consulting Teal Group in Fairfax anticipated 880 and 400 A380 sales respectively by 2025.[19] According to Lawrence, parallel to the design of the A380, Airbus conducted the most extensive and thorough market analysis of commercial aviation ever undertaken, justifying its VLA (very large aircraft, those with more than 400 seats) plans,[19] while according to Aboulafia, the rise of mid-size aircraft and market fragmentation reduced VLAs to niche market status, making such plans unjustified.[19] The two analysts' market forecasts differed in the incorporation of spoke-hub and point-to-point models.[19]

In 2007, Airbus estimated a demand for 1,283 passenger planes in the VLA category for the next 20 years if airport congestion remains at the current level. According to this estimate, demand could reach up to 1,771 VLAs if congestion increases. Most of this demand will be due to the urbanisation and rapid economic growth in Asia.[215] The A380 will be used on relatively few routes, between the most saturated airports. Airbus also estimates a demand for 415 freighters in the category 120-tonne plus. Boeing, which offers the only competition in that class, the 747-8, estimates the demand for passenger VLAs at 590 and that for freighter VLAs at 370 for the period 2007?2026.[216]

At one time the A380 was considered as a potential replacement for the existing Boeing VC-25 serving as Air Force One,[217][218] but in January 2009 EADS declared that they were not going to bid for the contract, as assembling only three planes in the US would not make financial sense.[219]

The break-even for the A380 was initially supposed to be reached by selling 270 units, but due to the delays and the falling exchange rate of the US dollar, it increased to 420 units.[49] In 2010, EADS CFO Hans Peter Ring said that break-even (on the aircraft that are delivered) could be achieved by 2015, despite the delays; there should be around 200 deliveries by that time, on current projections.[220] In 2012, Airbus clarified that in 2015, production costs to build the aircraft would be less than the sales price.[75] As of March 2010[update] the average list price of an A380 was US$?375.3?million (about ?261?million or ?229?million), depending on equipment installed.[221] As of July 2012[update] this list price was US$?390?million, but negotiated discounts made the actual prices much lower, and industry experts questioned whether the A380 project would ever pay for itself.[75]

## Orders and deliveries[edit]

Airbus A380 firm net orders and deliveries (cumulative by year)

Main article: List of Airbus A380 orders and deliveries

Eighteen customers have ordered the A380, including one VIP order by Airbus Executive and Private Aviation.[222] Total orders for the A380 stand at 257 as of October 2012[update].[1] The biggest customer is Emirates, which in June 2010 increased its order by 32 aircraft to 90 total, or nearly 40% of all A380 orders at the time.[1][223] The A380F version totaled 27 orders before they were either cancelled (20) or converted to A380-800 (7), following the production delay and the subsequent suspension of the freighter programme.

Delivery takes place in Hamburg for customers from Europe and the Middle East and in Toulouse for customers from the rest of the world.[224]

A380 firm net orders and deliveries[225]
|  | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | Total
Orders | A380-800 | 80 | 0 | 34 | 10 | 10 | 24 | 33 | 9 | 4 | 32[226] | 19[227][228] | 9[229][230] | 262[1]
A380F | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ?17 | ?10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Deliveries | A380-800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 18[228] | 26[228][231] | 22 | 89

## Operators[edit]

There were 89 aircraft in service with 9 operators as of 31 October 2012; these are Emirates (26), Singapore Airlines (19), Qantas (12), Lufthansa (10), Air France (8), Korean Air (5), China Southern Airlines (4), and Malaysia Airlines (4).[232] The shortest route that the A380 flies regularly is from Seoul-Incheon to Tokyo-Narita (1260?km or 783 miles great circle distance) with Korean Air, although Air France has also operated the A380 on the even shorter Paris-Charles de Gaulle to London-Heathrow route (344?km or 214 miles) in mid-2010.[233]

A Malaysia Airlines Airbus A380

- Singapore Airlines first service on 2007102525 October 2007[77]
- Emirates first service on 200808011 August 2008[82]
- Qantas first service on 2008102020 October 2008[83]
- Air France first service on 2009112020 November 2009[234]
- Lufthansa first service on 201006066 June 2010[235]
- Korean Air first service on 2011061717 June 2011[236]
- China Southern Airlines first service on 2011101717 October 2011[237][238]
- Malaysia Airlines first service on 201207011 July 2012[239]
- Thai Airways International first service on 6 October 2012.[240]

## Incidents and accidents[edit]

The A380 has been involved in one aviation occurrence and no hull-loss accidents as of September 2012[update].[241][242]

- On 4 November 2010, Qantas Flight 32, en route from Singapore Changi Airport to Sydney Airport, suffered an uncontained engine failure, resulting in a series of related problems, and forcing the flight to return to Singapore. There were no injuries to the passengers, crew or people on the ground despite debris falling onto the Indonesian island of Batam.[243] The A380 was damaged sufficiently for the event to be classified as an accident.[244] Qantas subsequently grounded all of its A380s that day subject to an internal investigation taken in conjunction with the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce plc. Engine Alliance GP7000 powered A380s were unaffected but other operators of Rolls-Royce Trent 900 powered A380s were also affected. Investigators later determined the cause of the explosion to be an oil leak in the Trent 900 engine.[245] Repairs cost an estimated A$139 million (~US$145m).[246] As other Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines also showed problems with the same oil-leak, Rolls-Royce ordered many engines to be changed, including about half of the engines in the Qantas A380 fleet.[247]

## Specifications[edit]

Comparison between four of the largest aircraft:
Hughes H-4 Hercules
Antonov An-225
Airbus A380-800
Boeing 747-8
Layout of A380-800, 519 seat configuration (331 lower, 188 up)

Measurement | A380-800 | A380F
--- | --- | ---
Cockpit crew | Two
Seating capacity | 525 (3-class)[101] 644 (2-class) 853 (1-class) | 12 couriers
Length overall | 72.73 m (238.6 ft)[177]
Wingspan | 79.75 m (261.6 ft)[177][248]
Height | 24.45 m (80.2 ft)[177]
Wheelbase | 31.88 m (104.6 ft)[101]
Wheel track | 12.46 m (40.9 ft),[177] 14.34 m (47.0 ft) total width[101][248]
Outside fuselage width | 7.14 m (23.4 ft)
Outside fuselage height | 8.41 m (27.6 ft)
Maximum cabin width | 6.54 m (21.5 ft) main deck 5.80 m (19.0 ft) upper deck[101]
Cabin length | 49.9 m (164 ft) main deck 44.93 m (147.4 ft) upper deck
Wing area | 845 m2 (9,100 sq ft)
Aspect ratio | 7.5
Wing sweep | 33.5?
Maximum taxi/ramp weight | 562,000 kg (1,240,000 lb) | 592,000 kg (1,310,000 lb)
Maximum take-off weight | 560,000 kg (1,200,000 lb) | 590,000 kg (1,300,000 lb)
Maximum landing weight | 386,000 kg (850,000 lb) | 427,000 kg (940,000 lb)
Maximum zero fuel weight | 361,000 kg (800,000 lb) | 402,000 kg (890,000 lb)
Typical operating empty weight | 276,800 kg (610,000 lb) | 252,200 kg (556,000 lb)
Maximum structural payload | 89,200 kg (197,000 lb) | 149,800 kg (330,000 lb)
Maximum cargo volume | 184 m3 (6,500 cu ft)[249] | 1,134 m3 (40,000 cu ft)[250]
Maximum operating speed at cruise altitude | Mach 0.89[101] (945?km/h, 587?mph, 510?knots)
Maximum design speed in dive at cruise altitude | Mach 0.96[251] (at cruise altitude: 1020?km/h, 634?mph, 551 knots)
Take off run at MTOW/SL ISA | 2,750 m (9,020 ft)[178] | 2,900 m (9,500 ft)[178]
Range at design load | 15,400?km (8,300?nmi, 9,500?mi)[101] | 10,400?km (5,600?nmi, 6,400?mi)
Service ceiling | 13,000 m (43,000 ft)[252]
Maximum fuel capacity | 320,000?l (84,600 US?gal) | 310,000?l (81,893?US?gal), 320,000?l
Engines (4 ?) | GP7270 (A380-861) Trent 970/B (A380-841) Trent 972/B (A380-842) | GP7277 (A380-863F) Trent 977/B (A380-843F)
Thrust (4 ?) | 310 kN (70,000 lbf) ? GP7270[253] 310 kN (70,000 lbf) ? Trent 970/B[254] 320 kN (72,000 lbf) ? Trent 972/B | 340 kN (76,000 lbf) ? GP7277 340 kN (76,000 lbf) ? Trent 977/B

Sources: Airbus A380 specifications[101]

## See also[edit]

| Aviation portal
| European Union portal

- Competition between Airbus and Boeing
- List of megaprojects

Related development

- Airbus A350

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

- Antonov An-225
- Antonov An-124
- Boeing 747-8
- Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
- McDonnell Douglas MD-12

Related lists

- List of aerospace megaprojects
- List of Airbus A380 orders and deliveries
- Seat configurations of the Airbus A380

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Orders Deliveries summary, spreadsheet. Airbus, October 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
2. ^ "New pricelist 2012". Airbus.com. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
3. ^ Norris, 2005. p. 7.
4. ^ "MDC brochures for undeveloped versions of the MD-11 and MD-12". md-eleven.net. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
5. ^ "McDonnell Douglas Unveils New MD-XX Trijet Design". McDonnell Douglas. 4 September 1996. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
6. ^ Norris, 2005. pp. 16?17.
7. ^ Norris, 2005. pp. 17?18.
8. ^ Norris, 2005. p. 31.
9. ^ a b "Creating A Titan". Flight International. 14 June 2005. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
10. ^ "Boeing, partners expected to scrap Super-Jet study". Los Angeles Times. 10 July 1995. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
11. ^ Bowen, David (4 June 1994). "Airbus will reveal plan for super-jumbo: Aircraft would seat at least 600 people and cost dollars 8bn to develop". The Independent (UK). Retrieved 30 December 2011.
12. ^ Sweetman, Bill (1 October 1994). "Airbus hits the road with A3XX". Interavia Business Technology. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
13. ^ a b c d e Norris, Guy; Mark Wagner (2005). Airbus A380: Superjumbo of the 21st Century. Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-2218-5.
14. ^ 27, 1994author=Karen West Seattle Post-Intelligencerpub=Orlando Sentineldesc=AVIATION GIANTS HAVE SUPER-JUMBO TASK ENORMOUS COMMERCIAL JET JUST PAPER AIRPLANE FOR NOWpqatl=google "Aviation giants have Super-jumbo task". Orlando Sentinel. 27 November 1994. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
15. ^ Norris, Guy (10 September 1997). "Boeing looks again at plans for NLA". Flight International. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
16. ^ "Superjumbo or white elephant?". Flight International. 1 August 1995. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
17. ^ Harrison, Michael (23 October 1996). "Lehman puts $18bn price tag on Airbus float". The Independent (UK). Retrieved 30 December 2011.
18. ^ Cannegieter, Roger. "Long Range vs. Ultra High Capacity". aerlines.nl. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
19. ^ a b c d e f Babka, Scott (5 September 2006). "EADS: the A380 Debate" (PDF). Morgan Stanley. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2006.
20. ^ Lawler, Anthony (4 April 2006). "Point-To-Point, Hub-To-Hub: the need for an A380 size aircraft". Leeham.net. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
21. ^ Pae, Peter (20 December 2000). 20, 2000author=PETER PAEpub=Los Angeles Timesdesc=Airbus Giant-Jet Gamble OKd in Challenge to Boeing; Aerospace: EU rebuffs Clinton warning that subsidies for project could lead to a trade war.pqatl=google "Airbus Giant-Jet Gamble OKd in Challenge to Boeing; Aerospace: EU rebuffs Clinton warning that subsidies for project could lead to a trade war". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
22. ^ "The Casino in the Sky". Wired. Associated Press. 19 December 2000. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
23. ^ "Airbus jumbo on runway". CNN. 19 December 2000. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
24. ^ "Virgin orders six A3XX aircraft, allowing Airbus to meet its goal". Wall Street Journal. 15 December 2000. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
25. ^ a b Morales, Jesus. "The A380 Transport Project and Logistics ? Assessment of alternatives" p19 Airbus, 18 January 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
26. ^ "Airbus delivers first A380 fuselage section from Spain". Airbus. 6 November 2003. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
27. ^ "Convoi Exceptionnel". Airliner World (Key Publishing Ltd). May 2009.
28. ^ "A380: topping out ceremony in the equipment hall. A380: special transport ship in Hamburg for the first time". Airbus Press Centre. 10 June 2004. Archived from the original on 12 March 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
29. ^ a b Toulouse.html "Towards Toulouse". Flight International. 20 May 2003. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
30. ^ "A380 convoys". IGG.FR. 28 October 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
31. ^ "Airbus starts painting first A380". Airbus. 11 April 2007. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
32. ^ a b Kingsley-Jones, Max (20 December 2005). "A380 powers on through flight-test". Flight International. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
33. ^ Madslien, Jorn (18 January 2005). "Giant plane a testimony to 'old Europe'". BBC News. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
34. ^ "A380, the 21st century flagship, successfully completes its first flight". Airbus. 27 April 2005. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
35. ^ "It flies! But will it sell? Airbus A380 makes maiden flight, but commercial doubts remain". Associated Press. 27 April 2005. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
36. ^ "Airbus 380 conducts test flights in Addis Ababa". Ethiopian Reporter. 21 November 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
37. ^ "Airbus tests A380 jet in extreme cold of Canada". MSNBC. 8 February 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
38. ^ "Airbus to reinforce part of A380 wing after March static test rupture". Flight International. 23 May 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
39. ^ a b Daly, Kieran (6 April 2006). "Airbus A380 evacuation trial full report: everyone off in time". Flight International. Archived from A380 evacuation trial full report everyone off in.html the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2006.
40. ^ "Airbus infrared video" 7 April 2011.
41. ^ "Pictures: Airbus A380 clears European and US certification hurdles for evacuation trial". Flight International. 29 March 2006. Archived from Airbus A380 clears European and US certification hurdles for evacuation.html the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2006.
42. ^ "GE joint venture engines tested on Airbus A380". Business Courier. 25 August 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
43. ^ "AIRBUS TEST FLIGHT WITH ENGINE ALLIANCE ENGINES A SUCCESS.". PR Newswire. 28 August 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
44. ^ a b "Airbus A380 completes test flight". BBC News. 4 September 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
45. ^ Ramel, Gilles (11 November 2006). "Airbus A380 jets off for tests in Asia from the eye of a storm". USA Today. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
46. ^ "EASA Type-Certificate Data Sheet TCDS A.110 Issue 03" (PDF). EASA. 14 December 2007. Archived from EASA.A.110 Airbus A380 Iss 3 (14 Dec 07).pdf the original on 8 November 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
47. ^ a b "FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet NO.A58NM Rev 2" (PDF). FAA. 14 December 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
48. ^ "Manufacturer (Encode).pdf Doc 8643 - Edition 40, Part1-By Manufacturer" page 1-8. International Civil Aviation Organization, 30 March 2012. Retrieved: 29 September 2012.
49. ^ a b Heinen, Mario (19 October 2006). "The A380 programme" (PDF). EADS. Archived from the original on 3 November 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
50. ^ Kingsley-Jones, Max (18 July 2006). "The race to rewire the Airbus A380". Flight International. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
51. ^ a b c d e Clark, Nicola (6 November 2006). "The Airbus saga: Crossed wires and a multibillion-euro delay". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
52. ^ Kenneth Wong (6 December 2006). [liveweb.archive.org/http://www.cadalyst.com/cad/product-design/what-grounded-airbus-a380-10903 "What Grounded the Airbus A380?"] Check `|url=` scheme (help). Cadalyst Manufacturing. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
53. ^ Crane, Mary (6 June 2006). "Major turbulence for EADS on A380 delay". Forbes. Archived from the original on 12 August 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
54. ^ Clark, Nicola (5 June 2006). "Airbus delay on giant jet sends shares plummeting". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
55. ^ Clark, Nicola (4 September 2006). "Airbus replaces chief of jumbo jet project". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
56. ^ "Airbus confirms further A380 delay and launches company restructuring plan". Airbus. 3 October 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
57. ^ Robertson, David (3 October 2006). "Airbus will lose ?4.8bn because of A380 delays". The Times (UK). Retrieved 30 December 2011.
58. ^ a b "A380 Freighter delayed as Emirates switches orders". Flight International. 16 May 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
59. ^ a b Quentin Wilber, Dell (8 November 2006). "Airbus bust, Boeing boost". Washington Post. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
60. ^ a b "Fedex pulls out of superjumbo". Europe Intelligence Wire. 8 November 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
61. ^ "UPS cancels Airbus A380 order". New York Times. 2 March 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
62. ^ "ILFC to defer its Airbus A380 order until at least 2013, ditching freighter variants for passenger configuration". Flight International. 4 December 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
63. ^ "Airbus says A380F development 'interrupted'". Flight International. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
64. ^ "Airbus has no timeline on the A380 freighter". Flight International. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
65. ^ "Emirates Airlines reaffirms commitment to A380 and orders additional four". Airbus. Archived from the original on 23 December 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
66. ^ "Singapore Airlines boosts Airbus fleet with additional A380 orders". Airbus. Archived from the original on 28 December 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
67. ^ "Qantas signs firm order for eight additional A380s". Airbus. Archived from the original on 20 April 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
68. ^ "Air France to order two additional A380s and 18 A320 Family aircraft". Airbus. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
69. ^ "Qatar Airways confirms order for 80 A350 XWBs and adds three A380s". Airbus. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
70. ^ "Korean Air expands A380 aircraft order". Airbus. Archived from the original on 2 August 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
71. ^ "A380 production ramp-up revisited". Airbus. 13 May 2008. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
72. ^ Expects Sharp Order Drop In 2009 "Airbus Expects Sharp Order Drop In 2009". Aviation Week and Space Technology. 15 January 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
73. ^ Rothman, Andrea (30 December 2009). "Airbus Fell Short with 10 A380s in 2009". Business Week. Archived from the original on 16 April 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
74. ^ a b Rothman, Andrea (17 January 2011). "Airbus Beats Boeing on 2010 Orders, Deliveries as Demand Recovery Kicks In". Bloomberg. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
75. ^ a b c Michaels, Daniel (13 July 2012). "Airbus Wants A380 Cost Cuts". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
76. ^ "BBC Two: 'How to build a superjumbo wing'". BBC. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
77. ^ a b "Singapore Airlines ? Our History". Singapore Airlines. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
78. ^ "A380 superjumbo lands in Sydney". BBC. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
79. ^ "SIA's Chew: A380 pleases, Virgin Atlantic disappoints". ATW Online. 13 December 2007. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2007.
80. ^ Flottau, Jens (21 November 2012). "Emirates A350-1000 Order 'In Limbo'". Aviation Week. Retrieved 22 November 2012. "Clark points out that ?the faster you fly [the A380], the more fuel-efficient she gets; when you fly at [Mach] 0.86 she is better than at 0.83.?"
81. ^ "Emirates A380 arrives in New York!". 3 August 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
82. ^ a b "Emirates A380 Lands At New York's JFK". 1 August 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
83. ^ a b "Qantas A380 arrives in LA after maiden flight". The Age (Australia). 21 October 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
84. ^ "Airbus narrowly meets delivery target of 12 A380s in 2008". Flight International. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
85. ^ "Singapore Airlines celebrates its first millionth A380 passenger". WebWire. 19 February 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
86. ^ "Airbus A380: Mehr als 1,5 Millionen Passagiere". FlugRevue. 11 May 2009.
87. ^ Michaels, Danial (30 October 2009). "Strong Euro Weighs on Airbus, Suppliers". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
88. ^ "Air France set to get Europe's first A380 superjumbo". MSN News. 30 October 2009.
89. ^ "Lufthansa ?bernimmt A380 am 19. Mai ? Trainingsfl?ge in ganz Deutschland". Flugrevue.de. Archived from the original on 13 May 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
90. ^ "Airbus delivers tenth A380 in 2010" (Press release). 16 July 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
91. ^ "EASA mandates prompt detailed visual inspections of the wings of 20 A380s". EASA. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
92. ^ Hradecky, Simon (21 January 2012). "Airworthiness Directive regarding Airbus A380 wing cracks". The Aviation Herald.
93. ^ "EASA AD No.:2012-0013". EASA. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
94. ^ Rob Waugh (9 January 2012). "World's biggest super-jumbos must be GROUNDED, say engineers after cracks are found in the wings of three Airbus A380s". London: The Daily Mail (UK).
95. ^ "Airbus Adjusts A380 Assembly Process". Aviation Week. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
96. ^ "Airbus to inspect all A380 superjumbos for wing cracks". BBC News Online. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
97. ^ "A380 Repairs to cost Airbus 105 million pounds". Air Transport Workd. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
98. ^ http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=28338:air-france-seeks-airbus-compensation-for-a380-glitches-reportcatid=113:international-newsItemid=248
99. ^ "Airbus A380 Cabin". Airbus. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
100. ^ a b Martin, Mike (18 June 2007). "Honey, I shrunk the A380!". Flight International. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 17 September 2007.
101. ^ a b c d e f g h "A380 Specifications". Airbus. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
102. ^ "The triple-deck cargo hauler". Airbus. Archived from the original on 22 August 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
103. ^ Saporito, Bill (23 November 2009). "Can the A380 Bring the Party Back to the Skies?". TIME magazine. Archived from the original on 19 September 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
104. ^ Bray, Rob (June 2007). Supersize Wings (31). Ingenia.
105. ^ Pang, Damon (4 September 2007). "A380 superjumbo gives thrilling morning air show". The Standard. Hong Kong.
106. ^ "Trent 900 engine". Rolls-Royce. Archived from the original on 7 September 2006. Retrieved 16 September 2006.
107. ^ "GP7200 engine features". Engine Alliance. Retrieved 16 September 2006.
108. ^ "Environment". Lufthansa. Archived from the original on 3 July 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
109. ^ "A380 Family". Airbus. Archived from the original on 9 December 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
110. ^ National Air Traffic Services (February 2003). Review of the Quota Count (QC) System used for Administering the Night Noise Quotaa at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports (PDF). Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
111. ^ "Designed for increased operational performance". Honeywell. Retrieved 28 October 2009. "Stopping performance eliminates requirements for 2 thrust reversers"
112. ^ "More on A380 Special Conditions". Air Safety Week. 2 June 2005.
113. ^ "Airbus ponders A380 thrust reverser options". Flight International. 3 April 2001.
114. ^ "Innovative Honeywell helps to curb A380 weight". Flight International. 15 June 2005. "Some systems, like the electromagnetic thrust reversers are a first for a commercial aircraft"
115. ^ Dunn, Graham (1 February 2008). "Airbus conducts A380 alternative-fuel demonstration flight". Flight International. Archived from the original on 2 February 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
116. ^ Lalor, Dan (1 February 2008). "A380 makes test flight on alternative fuel". Reuters. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
117. ^ Marks, Paul (29 June 2005). "Aviation?? The shape of wings to come". New Scientist. "More than 20% of the A380 is made of lightweight-but-strong composite materials, mainly carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic"
118. ^ Roberts, Tony (1 February 2007). "Rapid growth forecast for carbon fibre market". Reinforced Plastics.
119. ^ Marsh, George (11 October 2002). "Composites strengthen aerospace hold". Science Direct.
120. ^ "How to make an elephant fly". Scenta. 31 July 2007.
121. ^ "Thermoplastic composites gain leading edge on the A380". Composites World. 3 January 2006. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
122. ^ "Coming Soon: The Innovative Airbus A380". Aviation Today. 1 April 2006.
123. ^ Rothman, Andrea (17 July 2004). "Airbus' 'big baby' is too big". Seattle PI. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
124. ^ "Airbus A380 Superjumbo". Aerospace-Technology.com. Archived from the original on 4 October 2006. Retrieved 26 September 2006.
125. ^ R?tzer, Isolde (1 January 2005). "Laser Beam Welding" (PDF). Fraunhofer Society Material and Beam Technology?? IWS, Dresden, Germany. Archived from the original on 23 February 2006. Retrieved 14 May 2007.
126. ^ Aluminum Alloy Development for the Airbus A380. Key to metals
127. ^ Wing error costs 2B kroner (in Norwegian) Teknisk Ukeblad 31 May 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012
128. ^ Airbus A380 Wing Flaws May Cost USD$629 Mln Reuters 24 May 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012
129. ^ "Integrated Modular Avionics: Less is More". Aviation Today. 1 February 2007. "Some believe the IMA concept originated in the United States with the new F-22 and F-35 fighters and then migrated to the commercial jetliner arena. Others say the modular avionics concept, with less integration, has been used in business jets and regional airliners since the late 1980s or early 90s"
130. ^ "Rafale". Dassault Aviation. 12 June 2005.
131. ^ a b "Thales technologies onboard the A380". Thales Group. 30 October 2009. "The A380 is the first aircraft ever to be fitted with the Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) suite, a major technical evolution of global importance for airlines and operators. Designed by Airbus and co-developed with Thales and Diehl Aerospace, the IMA is a leap-ahead technological innovation, with all onboard computing modules networked and able to support different applications. The result is a substantial improvement in computing power, reliability, maintainability, volume, weight and scalability."
132. ^ "Networking". Lufthansa. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
133. ^ a b Adams, Charlotte (1 July 2002). "Test cards for the Airbus A380". Aviation Today. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
134. ^ "Cockpit". Lufthansa. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
135. ^ O'Connell, Dominic (26 March 2006). "Flying the Airbus giant of the skies". The Times (UK). Retrieved 26 March 2006.
136. ^ "Barco extends its success in the civil avionics market with new Airbus deal". Barco. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
137. ^ "A380 flight deck". Airbus. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006. Retrieved 16 September 2006.
138. ^ "Flash-based view of A380's cockpit". gillesvidal.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
139. ^ "A350 cockpit borrows A380 innovations". Air Transport Briefing. 6 March 2006.
140. ^ "Lufthansa Systems database plots route to the paperless cockpit". Flight International. 5 October 2004.
141. ^ "Advances in more-electric aircraft technologies". Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology (Emerald Group) 73 (3). 2001.
142. ^ a b Adams, Charlotte (1 October 2001). "A380: 'more electric' aircraft". Aviation Today. Archived from the original on 17 March 2006. Retrieved 26 September 2006.
143. ^ Henry, P.J. "A380 pushes 5000 psi into realm of the common man". Hydraulics Pneumatics. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
144. ^ a b Wiebusch, Bruce (8 September 2002). "High pressure, low weight". Design News.
145. ^ "Eaton wins hydraulic system contract for A380, $200?million potential for U.S. company". Business Wire. 10 October 2001.
146. ^ "Hydraulic services contract for Airbus A380 wing jigs". Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology (Emerald Group) 76 (2). 2004.
147. ^ "Innovative Variable Frequency Power". Goodrich. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
148. ^ Adams, Charlotte (1 October 2001). "A380: 'More Electric' Aircraft". Avionics Magazine.
149. ^ "Inside the A380". ArabianBusiness.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2007.
150. ^ "Global Aircraft ? Airbus A380". Retrieved 19 June 2009.
151. ^ "Fascinating figures about the A380". Airbus. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
152. ^ a b "Comparing Airlines' Airbus A380s". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 23 November 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
153. ^ Rochfort, Scott (7 June 2007). "Super jet could fit 1000, says maker". The Age (Melbourne). Retrieved 15 December 2010.
154. ^ Verghese, Vijay (2011). "A survey of the best airline economy seats". Smarttravelasia.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
155. ^ "Onboard the Airbus A380". Fodors. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
156. ^ "747-400 Cross Sections". Boeing. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 19 June 2008.
157. ^ "Emirates A380s to Establish New Airliner Seat Record". Aviation. 8 June 2008.
158. ^ Buckland, Rob (23 October 2009). "Recession causes turbulence for Airbus A380 sales". Bristol 24-7.
159. ^ "Cabin Interior, Mood Lighting". Diehl Aerospace, Germany. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 14 May 2007.
160. ^ "Airbus Cabin Showroom". Airbus. Archived from the original on 26 May 2007. Retrieved 14 May 2007.
161. ^ Wallace, James (30 October 2007). "Aerospace Notebook: It's no cruise ship of the sky, but A380 is raising the bar for comfort". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
162. ^ a b Frost, Laurence (7 February 2007). "Airbus Flight Shows Off Troubled A380". Washington Post. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
163. ^ a b c Stoller, Gary (3 February 2005). "USATODAY.com?? Flights of fancy". USA Today. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
164. ^ Rothman, Andrea (30 October 2009). "Airbus A380's bar, flatbeds, showers irk Engineers". Bloomberg.
165. ^ a b "SIA is ready at last to start flying the A380". Flight International. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
166. ^ a b "Air France picks business seat; eyeing premium economy for A380". Flight International. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
167. ^ "Seat Map Singapore Airlines Airbus A380". Seat Guru. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
168. ^ "Singapore Airlines A380". Singapore Airlines. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2007.
169. ^ "Singapore Airlines Suites" Singapore Airlines. Retrieved: 29 September 2012.
170. ^ "Qantas and the A380". Qantas. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
171. ^ "SeatGuru Seat Map Qantas Airways Airbus A380-800 (388):".
172. ^ Warburton, Simon (30 July 2009). "A first look inside Emirates' A380s". The Times (UK).
173. ^ "The Emirates A380: First Class". Emirates. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
174. ^ "Showers, Bars, Lounge?? the Emirates Airbus A380 has them all". Asia Travel Tips. 30 July 2008.
175. ^ "Qantas unveils self-serve bar". Adelaide Now. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
176. ^ Milstein, Michael. "Superduperjumbo Double the size of an Airbus A380? No problem, aerodynamicists say.". Air Space Magazine. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
177. ^ a b c d e f A380 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning" section 2-2. Airbus, November 2011. Retrieved: 29 September 2012.
178. ^ a b c "A380 Airplane Characteristics Rev: 1?Nov. 2011" (PDF). Airbus. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
179. ^ Harrison, Michael (24 June 2000). "Airbus opens its books for the world's biggest jumbo. But is it a plane too far?". The Independent (UK).
180. ^ a b "Common Agreement Document of the A380 Airport Compatibility Group Version 2.1" page 8, European Civil Aviation Conference, December 2002. Retrieved: 29 September 2012.
181. ^ "Minimum Requirements to Widen Existing 150-Foot Wide Runways for Airbus A380 Operations" (PDF). FAA. 13 February 2004. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
182. ^ "Use of non-standard 75-foot-wide straight taxiway sections for Airbus 380 taxiing operations" (PDF). FAA. April 2006. Archived from the original on 8 November 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2006.
183. ^ "Operational Evaluation Board Report Airbus A380-800 Report of the FCL/OPS Subgroup Report, Revision 1 18 July 2011". 18 July 2011. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
184. ^ Oldham, Jennifer (18 March 2007). "Airbus set for U.S. debut of world's largest passenger jet". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
185. ^ North, David (2 October 2006). "Pilot Report: Flying the Airbus A380". Aviation Week. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
186. ^ a b Arnoult, Sandra. "Airports Prepare for the A380". Airport Equipment Technology. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
187. ^ "747-400 Airport Compatibility Report", section 2.2.1. Boeing, December 2002. Retrieved: 29 September 2012.
188. ^ "747-8 Airport Compatibility Report", section 2.2.1. Boeing, December 2011. Retrieved: 29 September 2012.
189. ^ Dupont, Willy-Pierre. "A380?? A solution for airports" (PDF). Airbus. Archived from the original on 10 September 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
190. ^ a b Gerzanics, Mike (25 September 2006). "FLIGHT TEST: Airbus A380". Flight International. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
191. ^ "Catering". Lufthansa. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
192. ^ "Aircraft movements". Lufthansa. Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
193. ^ Helms, Ina. "Boarding please?? aber ein bisschen flott!". Innovate!. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
194. ^ "A380 first touchdown in the United States as part of commercial Route Proving". Airbus. 12 March 2007.
195. ^ "Airbus A380 wake turbulence may double safe distance between planes". Aviationpros. 23 November 2005.
196. ^ "A380 wake tests prompt call to reassess all large aircraft". Flightglobal. 29 November 2005.
197. ^ "Airbus A380 wake vortex study completed". Airbus S.A.S. 28 September 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 30 September 2006.
198. ^ "A380 wake vortex study provides some good news for Airbus". ATW. 29 September 2006.
199. ^ "Airbus A380 vortex-revised guidance material" (PDF). ICAO. 16 January 2007. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2007.
200. ^ "New guidelines show shorter A380?separation distances". Flight International. 22 August 2008. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2008.
201. ^ "ATSB Report AO-2008-077" Australian Transport Safety Bureau, 9 December 2009. Retrieved: 18 September 2012.
202. ^ "Airbus poised to start building new higher weight A380 variant". Flight International. 18 May 2010. Archived from the original on 21 May 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
203. ^ "British Airways and Emirates will be first for new longer-range A380". Flight International. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
204. ^ "Vietnam Airlines emerges as possible customer for new A380 variant". flightglobal. 25 June 2010. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
205. ^ "Airbus plant Riesen A380". Topnews.de. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2012. (German)
206. ^ "A380-900 and freighter both on 'back-burner': Enders". Flight International. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
207. ^ Rothman, Andrea (15 November 2007). "Europe?? Airbus plans 900-Seat Superjumbo; Emirates would buy". Bloomberg.
208. ^ "Branson favors planned Airbus 900-seat A380". Seattle Times. 21 February 2004.
209. ^ Rigby, Bill (30 October 2007). "Interview-Cathay Pacific to wait on next-generation planes". Reuters. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
210. ^ "Airbus to extend A380 to accommodate 1,000 passengers". India Times. Thaindian.com. 29 August 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
211. ^ "Kingfisher defers delivery to wait for A380-900". ATW Daily News. 6 February 2009.
212. ^ Wallace, James; Aerospace, P-I (25 October 2007). "A stretch version of the A380? It's in the plans". Seattle PI. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
213. ^ "A380 Freighter Specifications". Airbus. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
214. ^ Andriulaitis, Robert. "B747-8F VS A380F" InterVISTAS, December 2005. Retrieved: 29 September 2012.
215. ^ "Flying by Nature Airbus Global Market Forecast 2007?2026" (PDF). Airbus S.A.S. 31 January 2008. Archived from the original on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
216. ^ "Boeing Current Market Outlook 2007" (PDF). Boeing Commercial Airplanes. 20 November 2007. Archived from the original on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
217. ^ Pae, Peter (18 January 2009). "Airbus could build next Air Force One; 747 due to be replaced". Seattle Times.
218. ^ "US considers Airbus A380 as Air Force One and potentially a C-5 replacement". Flight International. 17 October 2007.
219. ^ "EADS waves off bid for Air Force One replacement". Flight International. 28 January 2009.
220. ^ "EADS hopeful A380 could break even in 2015". Flight International. 2010. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
221. ^ "Airbus aircraft 2011 average list prices" (PDF). Airbus S.A.S. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
222. ^ Snodgrass, James (6 January 2009). "Luxury living at 35,000 ft". CNN.
223. ^ Caswell, Mark. "Emirates increases A380 order to 90 aircraft". Business Traveller. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
224. ^ "Airbus names A380 delivery centre in Hamburg after J?rgen Thomas". Airbus. 4 July 2008. Archived from the original on 22 August 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2009.
225. ^ "A380 production list?? Airbus". 18 January 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
226. ^ "Emirates orders 32 Airbus A380 super jumbos". Emirates Airlines. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
227. ^ Rothman, Andrea (6 January 2012). "Airbus Wins Order for A380s From Hong Kong Airlines". Bloomberg. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
228. ^ a b c "Airbus marks 2011 with record order and delivery numbers". Airbus, 17 January 2012.
229. ^ "Transaero Airlines firms up order for four A380s". Airbus. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
230. ^ "Singapore Airlines to order more A380s and A350 XWBs". Airbus. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
231. ^ "Airbus tops A380 delivery target". Reuters. 16 December 2011.
232. ^ "A380 Family - Orders Deliveries". Airbus. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
233. ^ "Exceptional Air France Airbus A380 flights on London-Heathrow to Paris-CDG route". Corporate.airfrance.com. May 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
234. ^ "Air France gets Europe's first A380 superjumbo". Agence France-Presse. 30 October 2009.
235. ^ "Lufthansa flies German team to Johannesburg with A380". Lufthansa. 7 April 2010.
236. ^ Eun-joo, Lee (17 June 2011). "East Asia's first A380 goes into operation today". Korea JoongAng Daily.
237. ^ "Airbus delivers China Southern Airlines' first A380". Airbus.com. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
238. ^ "China Southern Airlines receives its first "Pearl of the sky" A380 jetliner". Airbus.com. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
239. ^ Platt, Craig (2 July 2012). "Newest superjumbo takes off for Malaysia Airlines". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
240. ^ Singapore, Thai. "A380 Fantasy Fares". thaiairways.com. Retrieved 14 Nov 2012.
241. ^ "Airbus A380 occurrences". aviation-safety.net. 4 December 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
242. ^ "Airbus A380 hull-losses". aviation-safety.net. 4 December 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
243. ^ "Indonesians collect debris from Qantas plane engine". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
244. ^ "Inflight engine failure ? Qantas, Airbus A380, VH-OQA, overhead Batam Island, Indonesia, 4 November 2010". Australian Transport Safety Bureau, 18 May 2011.
245. ^ Peter Walker (5 November 2010). "Qantas A380 landing: Airlines were warned in August over engine safety". Airportwatch.org.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
246. ^ Chong, Jordan (20 April 2012). "Qantas A380 back in the air, 'as good as new'". Herald-Sun. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
247. ^ "Qantas replaces RR engines". The Guardian, 18 November 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
248. ^ a b "Interim Aerodrome requirements for the A380" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand. 4 November 2004.
249. ^ Airbus, Airbus. "Dimensions key data". Airbus. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
250. ^ "Airbus A380F Wide-Bodied Freighter". Aerospace-technology.com. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
251. ^ "A380 powers on through flight-test". Flight International. 20 December 2005. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
252. ^ "Exemption No. 8695". Renton, Washington: Federal Aviation Authority. 24 March 2006.
253. ^ "GP7200 series specification". Engine Alliance. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
254. ^ 900_tcm92-11346.pdf "Trent 900 fact sheet". Rolls-Royce. Retrieved 12 August 2011.

### Bibliography[edit]

- Javier Alfonso Gil (2007). European aeronautics: the Southwestern axis. Springer. ISBN 3-540-35646-0.
- Maxwell, David (2007). A380dq=Airbus A380 Airbus A380: Superjumbo on World Tour. Zenith Press. ISBN 0-7603-3279-7.
- Moir, Ian; Allan G. Seabridge, Malcolm Jukes (2003). A380dq=Airbus A380 Civil avionics systems. Professional Engineering. ISBN 1-86058-342-3.
- Norris, Guy; Wagner, Mark (2005). Airbus A380: Superjumbo of the 21st Century. Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-2218-5.
- Pearman, Hugh (2004). A380#v=onepageq=A380f=false Airports: a century of architecture. Laurence King. ISBN 1-85669-356-2.
- Popular Mechanics (March 2001). A380 Hotels in the Sky 178. Hearst Magazines. Check date values in: `|year=` (help)

## External links[edit]

| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Airbus A380 (category)

External images
Airbus A380-800 cutaway
Airbus A380-800 cutaway from Flightglobal.com

- Official Airbus A380 page
  - Airbus A380 Navigator
- Everything about the A380 at FlightGlobal.com
  - Special Report on the A380 PDF (1.58?MB)
  - A380 cutaway diagram

Airbus A3xx aircraft production timeline, 1970s–present
1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| Airbus A300 |  |
|  | Airbus A310 |  |
|  | Airbus A320 family | Airbus A320neo family
|  |  | Airbus A330
|  |  | Airbus A340 |  | Airbus A350 XWB
|  |  |  | Airbus A380
= Out of production | = In production | = Future production

Airbus and Airbus Military aircraft
Civil | A300 A300 Beluga A310 A320 family (A318 / A319 / A320 / A321) A330 A340 A350 XWB A380
Military | A310 MRTT CC-150 Polaris A330 MRTT A400M C212 CN235 C295 HC-144
In development / proposed | A320neo family NSR KC-45
Other supported types | Sud Aviation Caravelle Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde BAC One-Eleven

Giant aircraft
Production | Aero Spacelines Super Guppy Airbus A380-800 Airbus Beluga Antonov An-124 Ruslan Antonov An-225 Mriya Convair B-36 Boeing 747 SP -400 -8I/8F LCF Martin JRM Mars Lockheed C-5 Galaxy |
Prototypes | Blohm & Voss BV 238 Bristol Brabazon Convair XC-99 Hughes "Spruce Goose" Lockheed R6V Constitution Saunders-Roe Princess Tupolev ANT-20
Concepts |
Proposed | Airbus A380-900 Reaction Engines A2 Scaled Composites Stratolaunch Sukhoi KR-860
Abandoned | Boeing New Large Airplane Boeing Pelican Boeing RC-1 Conroy Virtus McDonnell Douglas MD-12
Airships | Hindenburg class airship Goodyear ZPG-3W blimp
Rotary wing | Mil Mi-12 (helicopter) Mil Mi-26 (largest production helicopter) Fairey Rotodyne (largest rotodyne)

Lists relating to aviation
General | Aircraft manufacturers Aircraft engines manufacturers Gliders Airlines defunct Airports Civil authorities Museums Registration prefixes Rotorcraft manufacturers Timeline
Military | Air forces Weapons Experimental Missiles Unmanned
Accidents/incidents | Commercial airliners by location Fatalities by death toll General aviation Military
Records | Airspeed Altitude Distance Endurance Firsts Large Most-produced aircraft Most-produced rotorcraft