Big is beautiful
27 Mar 08
Airbus rolled out its huge A380 airliner last autumn, and Boeing's 787 will face the public in about a year. Gary Atkinson compares them and looks at other passenger aircraft trends
by Gary Atkinson
When you get on a plane, do you know what kind you are travelling on?
Probably not, but that could change with the new Airbus A380 – it will be hard to miss, being the largest commercial passenger aircraft in service. The “superjumbo” surpasses the capacity of even Boeing’s long-running 747 jumbo jet. But could this new aircraft mark the future of air travel?
Independent aviation analyst Chris Tarry points out: “Aircraft manufacturers recognise the demand for large aircraft, but that doesn’t mean that every one will be as big as the A380.”
Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, developed from scratch and expected to be launched in early 2009, has a capacity of 210 to 330 seats. The A380 has 550 or more.
“Boeing doesn’t see the market the way Airbus does,” says Tarry. “They broadly compete, but at the moment, they are for different roles. The A380, for example, is good for moving a large number of people over long distances where there is a demand, to and from airports that suffer from congestion and where there are limited windows for flights. Smaller aircraft, such as the 787 will have a different role for different routes.”
What they both offer, the makers claim, is increased comfort. The A380, Airbus says, has the quietest cabin in the sky, and with its double-deck cabins, there is potential for extra amenities, such as business centres and social areas.
The 787 will offer an innovative calm lighting system, improved humidification, better water and air purifying and lower cabin altitude. These improvements, Boeing says, should reduce “passenger fatigue”.
In terms of greater seat space, Tarry says: “The manufacturer sells floor space, but it is the airline that decides the number of seats, beds and services that it thinks are cost-effective.”
Singapore Airlines took delivery of the first A380 in October. If it is typical of the trend, travellers in all classes can expect more room. The airline offers an ultra-luxurious first class on its routes from Singapore to Sydney and London. There are 12 “suites” for big spenders, with seats almost a metre wide and separate beds, some of which can be converted to doubles. Its business class seats are the widest in the world, the airline says, and better design gives economy passengers more legroom.
Passengers on both aircraft will be able to feel less green guilt. The A380 burns 17 per cent less fuel per seat than today’s largest aircraft. The Dreamliner will use 20 per cent less fuel compared with current similar aircraft.
While these manufacturers are going large, very light jets are emerging in the US as potential alternatives to turboprop air taxis to use small regional airports. They have a better chance of taking off in the US – Tarry says: “Regulations make them less cost-effective in Europe.”
Then there are the ideas that have yet to make it past the drawing board. One is the Aerion, which would be the successor to Concorde, but for the chartered air travel market. Travelling at around Mach 1.6, it would be twice as fast as today’s airliners – making a trip from London to New York in as little as four hours. It is expected to have operating costs
comparable with today’s business jets. The company that has developed it hopes to have the aircraft in service by 2014, but needs to find a manufacturer.
From large to small, Tarry points out: “People could expect to have a better experience compared with what they had in the past – but much will depend on what they will be prepared to pay.”