The Hindu Business Line : Airbus A-380 arrives in Mumbai

For a retired Bangalore-based Professor of Cardiology, Dr Ram Rao, and a Professor of Mathematics from US, Dr Grace Leahy, the first Airbus A-380 flight between Delhi and Mumbai was special. For they were among the 175 passengers invited to join the first domestic flight operated jointly by Kingfisher Airlines and Airbus Industrie.

Kingfisher Airline is the only Indian carrier to have ordered the double-decker airliner, which can carry 555 passengers and fly non-stop between Delhi and New York. The aircraft is to enter commercial service later this year as part of Singapore Airlines fleet. Kingfisher Airline is to receive delivery of the first of the five aircraft it has ordered in 2011.

Great Moment

The aircraft is currently on a world tour, which began in Delhi and will visit China, the US, Dubai and several other countries, Airbus official said. "We have never seen anything like this. We figured out that the aircraft was airborne only when we looked out of the window," said a passenger.

The awe for what is being called the green gentle giant, as it consumes as much fuel as a Tata Indica car on a per mile cost, was also felt by the people on the ground. When the aircraft landed in Mumbai, workers at the Air India hangers, loaders filling bags into a waiting Israeli airliner EL AL, and other airport workers stopped work and took out their cameras to capture the moment.

As in Delhi when the aircraft landed on Sunday after a nine-hour flight from Toulouse, the Airbus A-380 did a low fly over Mumbai airport and flew over the city before coming back and landing.

Speaking to the media, the Chief Operating Operator (Customers), Airbus, Mr John Leahy, said that the company planned to invest $1 billion in India over the next 10 years. The investment would go towards building a design centre, a maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility and a pilot training centre among others.

Airbus estimates that India would require more than 50 Airbus A-380 variety of aircraft over the next 20 years. "We are likely to see about 20 orders for the A-380 next year and there could be some from India also," Mr Leahy said. Air India, Jet Airways and Air Deccan are looking at acquiring the aircraft that currently has a list price of $300 million.

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