Quantas has so far ordered 20 Airbus A380 double-decker aircraft, and the first was delivered to them during a moonlight ceremony, which included a spectacular light show in Toulouse, France.
Following its departure from Toulouse the aircraft made a stop-over in Singapore before arriving in Sydney on 21st September 2008.
It was met by a crowd of over 3000 spectators, Quantas employees and their families and friends.
The aircrafts interior was created by international designer Marc Newson and features four classes with 14 seats in First Class, 72 in Business, 32 in Premium Economy and 322 in Economy.
Newson has designed almost everything onboard, from the coat hooks to the fabrics, and Quantas executives believe the result is the most “functional and intelligent of any aircraft flying today”.
First Class passengers are rewarded with single, private suites featuring a 17 inch LCD wide screen video monitor, a touch screen control unit and a seat which swivels into a comfortable armchair and a fully flat, extra long and wide bed.
In Business Class passengers are treated to the luxury of the next generation of Quantas’ award winning sleeper seat Skybed – a fully flat bed with ergonomically enhanced cushioning. There is a large in-arm entertainment screen, additional storage options and more privacy. There is also a dedicated private lounge bar in the upper deck featuring leather sofa, self-service bar, large video monitor, laptop connectivity and a feature display cabinet.
Premium Economy seats are designed by Recaro and have fully adjustable, in-arm wide screen TV monitors and a self-service bar dedicated to the cabin.
In Economy the 332 seats have also been designed by Recoro and feature a sliding base which moves with the seat to create a more comfortable position to aid sleep and eliminate pressure points. There are four self-service bars in the Economy cabin.
For entertainment in the Economy cabin there is a state of the art Panasonic in-flight entertainment system with more than 100 on demand films, 350 television sections, 500 audio CDs, 30 PC style games and a selection of audio books.
In every seat on the aircraft there is a power point and laptop connectivity allowing passengers to send and receive emails during the flight.
The first commercial passenger flight of the Quantas A380 has taken place on 20th October 2008 from Melbourne to Los Angeles.
Services between Sydney and London via Singapore will begin in January 2009.
