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Old 8th May 2010, 02:39
  #13 (permalink)  
Beer Baron
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Australia
Posts: 622
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380 flying domestic, I don't think so

I don't believe the A380 could be efficiently flown on the domestic network. Disembarking and then boarding a full load of passengers could easily take 60 minutes, we have used this figure when deciding whether to keep the passengers on board or not during a ground delay. This does not even account for time to clean the cabin and load/unload baggage.

As for it being better than loading a B763, well there are currently 346 seats on the main deck of the A380 and without first class (as you would expect on a domestic config) you would easily fit 390+. So trying to load 390 pax through one door would take significantly longer than 260 pax onto a B763.

Loading of twice the amount of baggage through only 2 cargo doors would obviously take a considerably longer time as well.

Finally, the 380 IS a busload wider than a 747, 15 meters wider in wingspan actually, which would rule it out of almost every domestic gate on the network.

Don't get me wrong, I love the 380 and think it is/will be a winner on the medium/long haul market it was designed for, I simply disagree with speculation it could work on the Australian domestic network.
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