• Investment World
• eWorld
• Brand Line
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest
• The New Manager

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Cross Currency

• Rates
  
  

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources
• In Focus
• In Depth

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• The Hindu ePaper
• Business Line
• Business Line ePaper
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

Mohan Murti

Last week, I was among the 500 people invited to the Henri Ziegler Delivery Centre of the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, Southern France, to attend the formal handover ceremony of the world’s first A380 to Singapore Airlines. During the conducted walk around and a “joy-flight” on the largest passenger plane ever built, I was reminded of what I had read in Canto 23, Book III of the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana.

After Kardama Muni married Devahuti, he decided at a certain point to take her on a honeymoon of the universe. To do this, he manifested a seven-storey aerial mansion called a vimana that was lavishly equipped as a pleasure palace.

References to vimanas in ancient Indian texts and epics are so numerous that it would take volumes to relate what they had to say.

The incredible 4th Century B.C. manuscript Vimaanika Shastra by ancient author Maharishi Bharadwaaja describes in detail how these airships were manufactured. In many ways, the Airbus 380 I saw and experienced last week was comparable to the ancient vimanas.

In Toulouse, I was fortunate to get a savour of the new innovations unique to the A380 unveiled by Singapore Airlines.

Their A380 is configured with 471 seats in three classes, with 12 Singapore Airlines Suites — a cabin class beyond first, which is in a league of its own in terms of privacy, luxury and personal space.

On the main deck, there are 60 business class seats on the upper deck, and 399 economy class seats across both decks. One needs to experience first-hand the unprecedented comfort, space and luxury on this aircraft.

The aircraft will enter commercial service on October 25, with a special return flight between Singapore and Sydney. Majority of seats on this flight was sold at an auction on eBay — the global online marketplace — and the proceeds from the auction are being split among the charities in Singapore, Sydney and a global humanitarian organisation.

On October 28, the A380 will commence scheduled services between Singapore and Sydney, on one of the three daily flights in each direction.

I was particularly delighted to hear of the impressive operating capabilities of the A380 — fuel-burn is considerably lower on a seat-mile basis than in today’s large aircraft.

This offers operating airlines real efficiency benefits, while also mitigating the environmental impact of flying. Emissions per passenger are minimal.

Also, the A380’s noise emissions prove that big aircraft are not necessarily noisier. The new technology, design, airframe construction and engines all seem to have aided in making the A380 the quietest large passenger jet ever built.

The super-jumbo aircraft is powered by four Trent engines manufactured by Rolls Royce and can fly 15,000 km non-stop!

Currently, research is underway on flight physics, alternative fuels to cut greenhouse gas emissions and new systems to improve plane safety in bad weather.

Using new technology and innovative operational advances, Europe is developing competitive, integrated, safer, ‘greener’ and ‘smarter’ air transport systems for the benefit of all citizens and society that deliver mobility in a sustainable manner by respecting the environment and natural resources. Europe is one of the world’s foremost exporters of aeronautics-related products and services. The EU aeronautics and aerospace sectors represent multi-billion euro industries in the European economy and sustain millions of jobs for the citizens.

German carrier Lufthansa has ordered 15 of the giant jets to be delivered in 2008, which will all operate out of Frankfurt airport that is currently investing about 100 million euros in renovating its two terminals.

In Germany, the A380 is being subjected to detailed checks on the routine procedures of airline travel, from embarking and disembarking to the loading of food and drinks, luggage and fuel.

Double-decker boarding bridges, designed and built especially for the A380, allow simultaneous boarding of economy and higher-class passengers.

European airports currently able to handle the Boeing 747 will not need to build extra long runways for the A380 since, amazingly, its take-off and landing distance is shorter than the Jumbo’s.

Nevertheless, taxiing space for the jet on the ground is being increased in many European airports to take into account the larger wingspan. And given the heavier weight of the new aircraft — up to 540 tonnes — the runways are also being reinforced.

The A380 is capable of carrying between 555 and 840 passengers, about 40 per cent more than the Boeing 747, and the European producer hopes the model will help end Boeing’s supremacy in the jumbo market.

Kingfisher Airlines, owned by India’s brewing and spirits giant UB Group, is the only Indian airline to have ordered the A380. It has ordered five A380 aircraft and has an option for five more. Deliveries are to begin in 2011.

India’s booming economy has led to a sharp rise in air travel, with a number of private airlines starting operations in the past three years, putting pressure on airports in cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai.

Most Indian airports, especially in the metros, have inadequate facilities, and can barely cope with the rapidly growing demand. Not even one Indian airport is among the five biggest Asian airports — Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing and Seoul.

Two weeks ago in New Delhi, an Air India flight aborted landing at the last moment and made a sharp ascent after it saw a Jet Airways aircraft on the runway.

And passengers on a Jet Airways flight had a terrifying experience, just last week, when the commander aborted landing at the last minute after spotting another aircraft on the runway at Mumbai airport.

The aircraft, which was just seconds away from touch-down, pulled back and took off again.

In ancient India, Kardama Muni with his karmic credit and austerities, exercised his yogic power and instantly manifested and managed an aerial vimana that could travel at his will. I wonder how modern India will handle the Airbus-380 at its airports!

More Stories on : Airlines | Insight | Euroscape

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
The power of three

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line