![]() ![]() Delta Air Lines pioneered the idea in the mid 20th century. Until a generation ago, the hub and spoke model was big. Simple Flying further explains how the model works: ![]() In this model, you fly from one airport to a hub airport to catch a plane to another airport. In this model, there are central “hub” airports and smaller “spoke” airports. At the time, the hub and spoke model was the norm. What’s a way to reduce airport congestion? Instead of sending passengers off in multiple planes, corral them into a single, massive plane. Solving Airport Congestion Singapore Airlines There was a fear that airports would be congested with the number of planes required to meet demand. More and more planes were taking off and landing at major Asian airports to meet the increasing demand. At the same time, air travel was already increasing in regions like Asia. Roeder felt that if Airbus was going to meet that goal, it needed a set of aircraft like Boeing and the 747’s monopoly had to come to an end.Īs the book notes, the end of the Cold War was in sight at the time, and airlines and aircraft manufacturers both saw the potential for spikes in air travel. As the book continues, Jean Roeder, engineer of the wing concept for the A330 and A340, noted that Airbus wanted to capture 30 percent of the market. Not even Airbus leadership was aware of it. Only this team, a part of Airbus’ New Product Development and Technology department, knew of the idea. Those sketches were for an aircraft capable of carrying more than 800 passengers, more than the maximum of 660 that the 747-400 of the era was designed to carry in a single seating configuration. That year, as told by the book Airbus A380: Superjumbo of the 21st Century, Airbus engineers gathered around a table to study sketches for a plane that seemed like it would never get built. The 747 became such a famous aircraft that to this day, people call it the “Queen of the Skies.” And it was more than just its form, as the 747’s seating capacity allowed for lower airfares, which meant more people were able to fly.Īirbus engineers took note, and dreams for what would become the A380 began materializing as early as 1988. Meanwhile, Boeing was seeing some incredible success with its 747 jumbo. As Simple Flying notes, McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed locked into a battle of trijets with their DC-10 and L-1011 TriStar, respectively. The first aircraft to come out of this consortium was the Airbus A300 in 1972, a plane that started development in a European multinational collaboration before the formation of Airbus Industrie.Īirbus entered into a hot time for commercial aviation. The UK’s Hawker Siddeley joined in, as did Dutch Fokker-VFW and in 1971, Spanish CASA purchased some shares in the venture. Initial shareholders were France’s Aérospatiale and West Germany’s Deutsche Airbus. In 1970, Airbus Industrie GIE was formed as a consortium of European aircraft manufacturers. ![]() Eventually, some European aircraft builders came to the conclusion that to compete with the Americans, they needed to collaborate. European manufacturers had novel designs, but not the production to go up to bat against America’s manufacturers. America’s Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Lockheed were powerhouses that enjoyed strong sales from the popular American air transport market. At 8:15 local time, Flight SQ380 rotated towards the skies and into the history books.Īs Airways Magazine notes, European aircraft manufacturers in the 1960s wanted to compete with America’s manufacturers with innovative aircraft. Eventually, Singapore Airlines CEO Chew Choon Seng cut a yellow ribbon, beginning boarding for the first A380 flight. Passengers for the flight arrived in the early morning hours. Passengers, as Airways Magazine wrote, had to bid for seats on the aircraft, with proceeds going to charity. Singapore Airlines, the aircraft’s launch customer, set up a display at Singapore Changi Airport, noting that the Octoflight was going to be the first commercial flight in the world for the new plane. But with halted production and lower than expected numbers, it’s also a plane built for an era coming to an end.Īs Airways Magazine writes, the first passenger flight of the Airbus A380 was a momentous occasion. The aircraft, notable for being the world’s largest passenger airliner and only double-decker jet with full-length decks, remains a majestic sight in the skies. October 25 marks 15 years since the first Airbus A380s entered into passenger service. This week marks a pretty awesome anniversary in aviation history.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |