A380, Will Qantas Go For Security, Or Pax Comfort?
Airbus Says Enough Space on A380 to Isolate Crew
Thu Apr 29, 2004 01:51 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world's largest commercial plane will be designed with enough space to deeply isolate the crew from the passenger cabin, if airlines want to use that feature to guard against potential hijackers, a senior Airbus executive said on Thursday.
The 555-seat double-decker A380 is not scheduled for delivery until early 2006, and airline customers could instead choose to use that extra space for first-class or business-class seats or amenities to attract business. The plane will also be designed for cargo carriers.
"It's a customer-driven decision," said Allan McArtor, chairman of Airbus North America Holdings Inc., a unit of European-based EADS .
"There is enough real estate to completely isolate the crew and backup crew," McArtor told reporters.
The A380 is being developed for long-haul flights, some of which could carry two cockpit crews.
McArtor and other Airbus officials would not discuss security options for the A380, but said various configurations for the entire aircraft have been considered.
As part of the government-mandated U.S. overhaul of aviation security following the 2001 hijack attacks, airlines were required to install stronger cockpit doors, which are also bulletproof, to prevent or at least slow unwanted entry so the crew could quickly land the plane in an emergency.