BA A380 surprise

Passengers should not be surprised, possibly in July, to find themselves on a British Airways A380.

Following the revelation last week (see BTN 4 March) that the first BA Airbus A380 is nearing completion in Toulouse, the airline has now opened up ticket reservations for its inaugural flight on Tuesday 15 October (and forward bookings). 

BA has chosen the popular “Red Carpet Route” to Los Angeles as the first route for the double-decker superjumbo.  Flight time is 11½ hours, giving plenty of time for passengers to appreciate the quietness of the new aircraft.

Another really long haul destination, Hong Kong, has been selected as the second route for the aircraft, starting 15 November. 

However the first aircraft will arrive sometime in July and will then undergo a series of test flights – some of them empty training sectors aimed at pilots/cabin crew training, while others will be on commercial services to European airports, somewhat similar to the Air France short term A380 Heathrow – Paris CDG service.

The A380 will accommodate 469 customers across four cabins, 14 in First, 97 Club World (split across both decks), 55 World Traveller Plus and 303 World Traveller. www.ba.com

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