Issue 255: A380 Arrives

Worth the wait

The Qantas A380 era began when the first of its double-decker giants, VH-OQA Nancy-Bird Walton, touched down at Sydney Airport at 9am on September 21.

That historic landing (pictured above) marked the end of an eight year wait for the most anticipated commercial aircraft in decades. The A380 is the world’s biggest, most spacious, most fuel efficient airliner per seat, so its delivery to Qantas and planned entry into service on October 20 is truly a big deal. This is without doubt the most significant development for Qantas’s long haul operations since the delivery of the airline’s first 747 back in 1971. Although two years late, for the economic and competitive advantages it offers, for Qantas it will have been worth the wait.