Emirates unveils world’s largest passenger plane

 

Emirates Airlines has unveiled a new Airbus A380 outfitted with 615 seats, making it the airliner with the most seats ever.

At the Dubai Airshow this week, the airline unveiled its newly reconfigured Airbus A380-800 planes. The 615-seater which is expected to begin flying a route between Dubai and Copenhagen in December, can fit a small village.

Currently Air France A380s fly the largest capacity configuration in active service with 538 seats. But Emirates is set to rival it with its two-class A380 aircraft with 557 seats in economy and 58 seats and a lounge in business.

Although the luxury Gulf carrier – the world’s biggest passenger plane — has made room for 130 additional economy seats, travelers will not lose any legroom inside the aircraft.

By scrapping the spacious first class cabin and trimming 18 flat-bed seats from business class, there are now set to be an additional 13 rows each comprising 10 seats. The two-class planes will carry about 100 more passengers than the existing three-class fleet.

The Dubai-based airline said economy class will still be spacious despite cramming more seats on board, adding that passengers will still be able to avail in-flight entertainment on the 13.3 inch screens.

Further, the website said the space between the back of one seat and the back of the seat behind it will remain 32-34 inches, with the width being reduced slightly to 17.5 inches – half an inch less than Emirates’ three-class A380s, which have fewer economy seats.

Emirates’ existing A380s have two different configurations with three classes – first, business and economy – seating 489 or 517 passengers. If an airline decided to scrap first and business classes and convert an entire A380-800 into an economy-class only configuration, it could hold 853 passengers.

Often being referred to as the ‘cattle-class’, Emirates’ economy cabin is among the best in the industry, taking seventh place in this year’s Skytrax World Airline Awards.

Meanwhile, with more than 500 films on offer, its in-flight entertainment system has been named the best in the world for a record 11 consecutive years.

Emirates’ first two-class A380 was delivered to the Dubai Airshow straight from Airbus’ plant in Hamburg, Germany earlier this month and visitors at the show were among the first to get a look inside the double-decker, although they didn’t have the luxury of leaving the ground.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and emir of Dubai, spent time touring the superjumbo jet and meeting Emirates staff.

After the Dubai Airshow ends, the massive four-engine plane will be used on Emirates’ Dubai-Copenhagen route when it enters commercial service on December 1.