Qantas Airlines of Australia received it’s first of 20 Airbus A380 airplanes, which will be delivered to Qantas from now thru 2013,with Airbus already 2 years behind in deliveries because of wiring issues, and other company issues, the Airbus A380 makers vow to meet the delivery goal of 12 Super Jumbo A380′s to various airlines this year.
The airliner touched down on Australian soil at 9 am yesterday, to the gleam of hundreds of spectators, but not before showcasing the aircraft by flying over the Sydney Harbor first.
The super jumbo jet was handed over to Qantas in a great ceremony event commemorating the special event in Toulouse, France at the Airbus Head Base on Friday night before it began it’s voyage to Sydney Australia, making a stop over in Singapore.
The Pilot of this special flight was Peter Probert who ironically is the son to the first pilot to fly the 747 Jumbo Jet into Australia back in 1971. Pilot Peter Probert told passengers “It’s one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in my life, flying the Qantas A380 down to Sydney,” the jet make its historic landing at Kingsford Smith Airport.
Qantas officials were so happy with the A380 that talks have arisen of the companies order being boosted above the already ordered number of 20 Airbus A380′s.
“We have started discussions with Airbus about increasing our order of A380s beyond 20″said chief executive Geoff Dixon said at the handover ceremony in Toulouse.
The superjet will make its debut commercial flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles on October 20. The first flight from Sydney will go to LA on October 24.
Flights on the Sydney-to-London route will begin in February.
This Big Jet has come along way here is the same A380 airplane almost 3 years ago in November 2005!
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