First A380 for Air France

Source: Aviationweek
Air France has taken delivery of its first Airbus A380 today in handover ceremonies at the Airbus factory in Hamburg, Germany.

Air France is the first European airline to get the aircraft and will be the first to introduce it in transatlantic service from Europe, although Emirates has operated the aircraft on the Dubai-New York route.

Air France will operate the aircraft – of which it has 12 on firm order – in a 538-seat, three-class layout. That configuration is the highest density arrangement of all current A380 operators including Qantas, Emirates and Singapore Airlines.

The aircraft will enter revenue service in mid-November on the Paris-New York route where it will replace two aircraft, an A340 and a Boeing 777.

Air France is introducing a new inflight entertainment system onboard that features wider TV screens and video on demand, among other features. The airline offers bars in all three cabins that passengers can use during flight, although the economy class bar is basically a tiny space on the side of the galley. Business and First Class passengers share the space in the front of the upper deck on the sides of the staircase. The First Class cabin is located on the lower deck and passengers have to walk upstairs to use the bar and benches.

Air France President and CEO Pierre Henri Gourgeon highlighted the aircraft’s efficiency at the Hamburg event. “The A380 has the same capacity as the Boeing 777-200 combined with the Airbus A340, but its operating cost per seat are 20%. We will be saving €15 million per year.” In his view, the aircraft is “a strategic weapon for us to withstand the crisis and to cushion the effects. In the longer term the A380 will help us return to growth and profits.”

Air France, along with Emirates, was the first airline to order the aircraft in 2000. It has delayed some of the deliveries planned for next year due to the current economic downturn.

On Thursday, Lufthansa indicated that it would likely not receive five of the aircraft next year due to Airbus’ production problems. But unlike some reports suggested, the airline has not yet actively deferred deliveries.