Home Manufacturer News Paris Air Show – Airbus Announces the A380plus

Paris Air Show – Airbus Announces the A380plus

by Matt Falcus
A380plus

A380plus

One of the interesting news stories to come from the Paris Air Show taking place this month is Airbus’ proposed A380plus, which will add some important new features to the super jumbo.

The proposal includes aerodynamic improvements, in particular new, large winglets and other wing refinements that allow for up to 4% fuel burn savings. Added to an optimised A380 maintenance programme and the enhanced cabin features first shown at Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in April, the overall benefit is a 13% cost per seat reduction versus today’s A380.

The optimised cabin layout based on the ‘cabin enablers’ presented at Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), allows up to 80 additional seats* with no compromise on comfort: redesigned stairs, a combined crew-rest compartment, sidewall stowage removal, a new 9-abreast seat configuration in premium economy and 11-abreast in economy.

A380plus

The A380plus will have an increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 578 tonnes providing the flexibility of carrying up to 80 more passengers over today’s range (8,200nm), or flying 300nm further.

The A380plus features longer maintenance check intervals, a reduced six-year check downtime, and systems improvements, which will reduce maintenance costs and increase aircraft availability.

 

The key to seeing the A380plus take shape will be in whether any orders are announced imminently. Sales have slumped for the A380 in recent years, so maybe this will revitalise the market.

 

Author

You may also like

Leave a Comment