As the UAE carrier Emirates took delivery of its last Airbus A380 this month, manufacturing of the world’s largest passenger plane finally jets off into the sunset. BusinessClass.com takes a look at how the A380 became a perennial passenger favourite.
Airbus has discontinued production of the A380 now that orders from interested airlines have dried up. This mega-jet plane was supposed to transform route networks, especially for hub-and-spoke carriers looking to transport passengers on trunk routes between global locales. It encountered good times as well as bad times with a pandemic souring its chances for future orders. Only a handful of network airlines carry the type of passenger volumes throughout their networks to support such capacity on various routes. These include heavily trafficked flights between Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the USA.
Emirates’ acceptance of the final A380 to be produced is no coincidence. The UAE carrier has the largest fleet of A380s and has been quite successful in using the plane on a large chunk of its international network from the airline’s Dubai hub. It has also turned heads for the swanky amenities it has installed aboard these double-decker planes.
Even though Airbus will no longer build new A380s, some airlines will continue to fly this behemoth keeping its unique inflight amenities available to the general public.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, airlines including Air France, Lufthansa and Thai Airways retired their A380s, but others like All Nippon Airways (ANA), British Airways, Emirates and Qantas have committed to keeping them in their fleet.
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The history of a behemoth
When the plane was first being studied, many media outlets predicted impractical features for the plane like bowling alleys and private sleeping rooms - ignoring the economics involved in the weight and space of such amenities. In reality, however, airlines opted for mostly traditional layouts with large economy class cabins in addition to Business and First Class seating.
The first A380, aptly registered F-WWOW, was unveiled in Toulouse on 18 January, 2005 and first took to the skies on 27 April, 2005. After two years of testing and multiple modifications, the aircraft made its commercial debut on October 25, 2007 with flight number SQ380 between Singapore and Sydney. Passengers bought seats in a charity online auction paying between US$560 and US$100,380. The maiden flight hosted 455 passengers and included a crew of 30, including pilots, and lasted seven hours.
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Many airlines, including British Airways, added premium economy cabins to help bridge the gap between the economy and Business Class travel experience. Emirates, Etihad and Singapore Airlines took things a step further by creating the most lavish First Class cabins in the sky with fully enclosing suites ideal for some of the ultra-long journeys these planes would undertake.
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The A380 was a pioneer in aviation, much like the iconic Boeing double-decker (the original Jumbo Jet), the Boeing 747. Also with two decks, the 747 continues to fly today with its latest iteration being the Boeing 747-8, flown by airlines including Korean Air and Lufthansa.
Both planes had rather groundbreaking shapes, but the A380’s wider size gives designers more opportunities for exotic features should airlines choose to pay for them.
A grand staircase in the front usually takes passengers from the lower level to the second floor with a second stairway in the back of the plane. On some A380s (British Airways, for instance), there is a small section of economy class on the upper level, which is quite a unique experience in a more private cabin. For most A380s, the upper deck features most of the premium cabin seating.
Unique inflight amenities
Each airline can decide how to configure its planes based on the individual needs and foreseeable passenger interest and demand the design can generate. Emirates made quite the splash when it launched its A380s, which feature showers for First Class passengers and a bar and lounge for First and Business Class passengers. At the lounge, a flight attendant pours from expensive bottles of Champagne or spirits as passengers chat with each other or snack on plates of sandwiches or other munchies.
Emirates passengers can sit at the bar or in small conversation seating areas in the lounge. Luckily, these have seat belts so that passengers can continue to enjoy the experience even in turbulence.
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Not to be outdone by its neighbouring competitor, Qatar Airways added a bar of its own with swanky drink labels from wine to spirits served in its premium lounge on the A380’s upper deck. Guests can enjoy seats in the lounge area or sidle up to the bar to chat with the flight crew while they tipple.
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Both Emirates, Etihad and Singapore Airlines have created lavish First Class suites with doors that close for privacy and full beds that are among the most comfortable in the sky. Singapore Airlines even created the ability for passengers traveling together to enjoy a double bed in the sky.
Korean Air chose to install a Duty-Free display area on its plane so that passengers can peruse what is on offer beyond a seat pocket catalogue. The airline also has a space called the Celestial Bar where passengers in First and Business Class can gather.
Drinks and snacks are available in the Celestial Lounge, but it is not as swanky of a setup as one might find on Emirates. There is even a television making it seem more like a living room. Korean Air also worked with Absolut Vodka to come up with a variety of specialty cocktails to enjoy in the lounge.
German carrier Lufthansa may not have featured the most unique inflight amenities on their now-retired fleet of A380s. One truly unique feature was however that the First Class lavatories featured men's urinals, concealed behind a sliding shell. When designing the Lufthansa A380 First Class cabin, Hamburg design firm Mueller/Romca reasoned that this not only added convenience for male passengers but also improved overall hygiene in the toilet area to the benefit of all passengers.
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The unique inflight amenities of the A380 set the scene for a hugely successful Emirates brand campaign that quickly went viral in 2015. The airline roped in Hollywood actress, director and producer Jennifer Aniston to star in the advert, that took aim at the airline's competitors.
The advertisement showed Ms Aniston finding herself in the 'nightmare' scenario of being aboard an imaginary American carrier without luxuries including a shower or bar and lounge, only to wake up in the comfort of her Emirates First Class suite.
The following year, Ms Aniston made a return to the Emirates A380 in a second advertising campaign where she meets a new friend and strolls through the Emirates A380.
Showering inflight
There is one amenity that is only found aboard a subset of the world’s flying Airbus A380s. No other aircraft type seems to have the space or airline backing to install it: an inflight shower.
Emirates carries enough water for its First Class passengers to enjoy a five-minute shower. Dedicated flight attendants refresh the shower between passenger use and provide towels and a platter of fresh fruit to enjoy in your seat after using it.
If you are curious how inflight showers work, passengers can turn the water on and off during the shower. Each passenger is limited to only five minutes - given the difficulty of carrying clean water to use for showers on an airplane. The on/off button allows people to shampoo their hair without wasting their five minutes of water. But beware, once the five minutes is up, the water stops (even if you have shampoo in your hair)! The airline provides a good selection of luxury-brand toiletries including shampoo, conditioner and lotion there is no need to pack your own.
Perhaps the most lavish accommodation was aboard Etihad’s (now discontinued) A380 planes, which featured The Residence. Staffed by a dedicated butler, this two-room suite at the forward section of the plane featured a separate living and sleeping area with a proper linen-wrapped bed. A private bathroom with shower was also available. To this day, no commercial airline has created such a lavish inflight product as The Residence.
A second shower for Etihad’s First Class passengers seated in The Apartment section was also available. Like Emirates, showers on Etihad flights were available for five minutes per First Class passenger. Passengers simply reserve a time that they would like to use the shower so that is properly cleaned and refreshed when it is their turn.
The Apartment also had sliding doors as well as a separate bed and armchair providing a small private space that was among the most luxurious in the sky. Today, Singapore Airlines flies a similar yet larger suite in First Class with the ability to connect two suites together creating an even more spacious private space.
Emirates was not the only UAE-based airline to call on Hollywood stars for their brand adverts. In 2015, Etihad worked with Australian actress and Hollywood icon Nicole Kidman to produce creative advertising for the luxurious cabin products. The campaign featured Ms Kidman indulging in the services available aboard Etihad’s A380: the First Apartments, the convivial Lobby and the three-room The Residence.
A five-minute virtual reality film titled ‘Reimagine’ followed in 2016, taking viewers on a journey following Ms Kidman through an Etihad Airways’ Airbus A380 on a virtual flight between Abu Dhabi and New York.
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On board, the viewer encounters a number of characters including the actor, a film director and an opera singer. They also interact with a Savoy-trained Butler in The Residence, an Onboard Chef in First Class, a Food and Beverage Manager in Business Class, and a Flying Nanny.
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You can still fly the A380
If you are looking for a seat on this massive airplane, you are in luck. You will find A380s flying for ANA, Asiana, British Airways, China Southern, Emirates, Korean Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. Whether you choose to buy a seat or redeem miles for one, there is plenty of time for you to fly the world’s largest passenger airplane.
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Sadly, other airlines that once flew the plane have retired it (or will soon). These include Air France, Etihad, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways.
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While the A380 is no longer being produced, its unusual design and amenities will continue to ply the skies with many airlines for years to come. The best experience is a First Class suite, but even Business Class on the A380 is quite special.
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