Airbus, Heathrow mark 10th anniv of first A380 flight to London

Emirates Business

Airbus and Heathrow airport are celebrating the 10th anniversary of A380 operations at the airport. They began on March 18, 2008 with the arrival of the first A380, a Singapore Airlines flight SQ308 from Singapore Changi airport making Heathrow one of the first to welcome Airbus’ iconic double decker.
Heathrow is now the world’s busiest A380 airport by number of A380 operators with nine airlines operating to 13 destinations on some 50 A380 daily flights. The UAE carriers, Emirates and Etihad Airways have been instrumental in contributing to these impressive figures. The airlines operate a total of nine flights a day— Emirates with six daily flights and Etihad Airways with three—on the A380, from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively to Heathrow Airport. In January 2018, Emirates signed a deal with Airbus to buy a further 36 A380 aircraft, reaffirming the superjumbo as a passenger favourite for its exceptional comfort and unique travel experience.
Passenger traffic doubles every 15 years and the A380 is and remains the best solution for absorbing growth by using aircraft slots more efficiently; especially where airport capacity is limited.
The A380 is also a good neighbour and won a UK noise abatement society award in recognition of its low noise operations, generating 50 percent less noise energy on departure than its nearest competitor, as well as up to four times less when landing.
Simon Eastburn, Director of Airline Business Development at Heathrow said, “It’s been fantastic to see nine of our airlines welcome the Airbus A380 over the past decade. Ten years from first flight, this pioneering aircraft has helped us reduce noise and improve efficiency whilst supporting continued passenger demand for long-haul routes. This is one of the most popular aircraft for many passengers so we look forward to celebrating this milestone with them.”
More than 200 million passengers have enjoyed the A380 experience. According to a survey carried out by Epinion, 98 percent of A380 passengers would recommend flying on the A380 to their friends and family.
As the smoothest, quietest flight, it offers unparalleled comfort in all classes. A modern feat of engineering and design, the A380 is the universally recognised benchmark. It provides airlines with a canvas to create the most outstanding business and first classes in the air, with amenities like showers, beds and lounges.
Flying with the world’s leading airlines on over 120 routes and 60 destinations, the A380 is the passenger’s favourite. Airbus’ iconic superjumbo jet offers more personal space and the widest seats in the sky in all classes, including economy class.
Building on passengers’ excitement around the flagship A380, Airbus launched in 2016 the first booking assistant of its kind: iflyA380.com. In January 2018, Airbus unveiled the iflyA380 app, which enhances the website with more features and content to interact with the A380.
David Dufrenois, Head of A380 Market Development at Airbus, said, “The A380 is essential to the operations of Heathrow, which is today the first hub in the world for long-haul traffic. As
70 percent of this traffic connects through hubs, the unique A380 offer strengthens Heathrow’s passenger appeal over other airports.”
To celebrate the tenth anniversary, Airbus and Heathrow will surprise passengers landing at Heathrow on an A380 flight until March 28 with A380 goodies.