5 July 2004
Airbus to build seven story airliner
Passengers will have choice of restaurants and theatres
TOULOUSE, FRANCE -- With delivery of its first 555 passenger, double-deck commercial
airliner expected to take place later this year, Airbus announced today that
it has initiated preliminary studies for the design and manufacture a 2600 passenger airplane.
The aircraft on the drawing board will have ten decks—seven for
passengers, three for cargo and baggage. A prototype of the new aircraft,
based on the company's Super Transporter design, will
be called the "Airbus A390."
The plane is targeted for international service of flights of over 9,000
nautical miles (about 16,600 kilometers). The A390 will be powered
by six Rolls-Royce turbofan engines developing thrusts of over 340,000lb
each. According to a company
spokesman, Jean-Claude Randele, "The break-even point for operating
the airplane will be at a passenger load of about 1760 passengers."
Mr. Randele also noted, "Flights in 9,000 miles-plus range are expected to
take 20 hours or longer so the A390 will include lots of amenities to help the
passengers pass the time."
Among the features proposed for the
future aircraft are six restaurants, three duty free shops, a lounge with a discothèque, two full sized movie theatres, a 14 lane bowling alley,
a swimming pool with water slides, a wedding chapel, a
fully functional medical clinic, and a 11,000 volume library.
Mr. Randele said that two major international carriers have already
placed orders and that the new jets are scheduled to begin service in late summer of 2008.
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