All Nippon Airways (ANA) has taken delivery of the first of three new Airbus A380 aircraft.
The new aeroplane will enter service on 24 May, operating ANA’s Tokyo Narita-Honolulu route.
The A380 is designed to hold up to 520 passengers, with the upper deck housing eight First Class suites, 56 lie-flat Business Class seats and 73 Premium Economy seats. Meanwhile, the lower deck will have 383 Economy Class seats, including 60 couch seats that can be converted to a bed by lifting up the footrests.
Shinya Katanozka, president and CEO of ANA Holdings, commented: “We believe the A380 will become a game changer for ANA and will enable us to increase our market share by doubling the number of seats connecting Honolulu and Tokyo by 2020.”
Airbus CEO Thomas Enders added: “Airbus is proud to deliver this beautiful and iconic aircraft to ANA. Offering unrivalled levels of passenger comfort, the A380 will enable ANA to increase its capacity on the busy route to Hawaii with maximum efficiency. We are confident that the aircraft will be highly successful in service with ANA and are committed to providing full support to the airline all along the way.”
The news comes after Airbus announced it would no longer manufacture the A380 superjumbo aircraft when it finishes production on current orders, with the last delivery scheduled for 2021.
ANA’s second A380 is expected to go into service on 25 May.
ana.co.jp