The biggest airliner in the world just got more seats than ever before.
Over the weekend, Emirates airline unveiled a new Airbus A380 outfitted with 615 seats.
“For those keeping score, that is the most ever,” writes aviation blogger Gilbert Ott. Currently Air France A380s fly the largest capacity configuration in active service — 538 seats.
Think about it: 615 passengers is like an entire town flying on one airplane.
In fact, assuming the 2010 Census is accurate, this plane actually has enough seats to fly the entire population of Circle, Montana.
For those who don’t follow the industry, the A380 is basically a flying building.
It’s the monster truck of airliners, with four engines and two floors of seats.
The 615-seater is expected to begin flying a route between Dubai and Copenhagen in December, The National reports.
Is this a good thing?
The new configuration has airline and travel industry followers debating the pros and cons of capacity versus comfort.
Still more seats could be added
Four-engine wide-body jetliners have been falling out of favor lately among carriers, as new, super-efficient, lightweight, twin-engine planes fly longer and longer routes.
When the A380 debuted a decade ago, the design was based on the idea that airlines would need larger aircraft to fly passengers between expanding major air hubs.
But sales, though initially strong, have tailed off in recent years.
Related: Does the A380 have a future?
Believe it or not, 615 passengers aboard the A380 isn’t the maximum.
Even more passengers could fit on these giant planes.
Adding 11-abreast seating in the economy section of the main deck would increase the A380-800 capacity by an additional 35 to 40 seats.(Thom Patterson)
Link: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/10/aviation/worlds-biggest-airliner-most-seats-ever-emirates-airbus-a380-super-jumbo/index.html?iid=ob_lockedrail_topeditorial&iref=obnetwork
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