Old Qantas logo alongside the new
Qantas has unveiled a host of new features for its A380 aircraft, slated for delivery in August, 2008.
The Australian flag carrier has ordered 20 of the ultra-large aircraft that will be configured with 450 seats ” 14 First, 72 Business, 32 Premium Economy and 332 Economy.
All classes have been revamped with first featuring a cabin with 17” TV screen and fully flat bed, while business passengers also have a flat bed and access to a private lounge area on the upper deck replete with leather sofas and self-service bar.
Premium Economy, configured in a 2-3-2 layout on the upper deck, will have a 42” seat pitch, while Economy class passengers benefit from wider TV screens and a foot net in a 3-4-3 layout. An indication of the sheer scale of this aircraft comes from the fact that economy passengers will have access to four self-service bars. Premium economy for the 747 will be arranged in 2-4-2 layout, while interestingly the airline says it will offer in-seat access to email and the internet, as well as wireless connectivity for passengers with laptops.
Qantas has also tweaked its iconic kangaroo logo, last changed in 1984 and which executive general manager, John Borghetti said ”is a great fit for the A380 tail.” The new design, created by Hulsbosch Communications and which was rolled out on a company Boeing 767 today (24 July), is ”sleeker and more contoured,” according to Borghetti.
The Qantas logo first appeared in 1944, when the kangaroo from the Australian one-penny coin was adapted and painted beneath the cockpit of the company”s first Liberator aircraft.
New domestic lounges will also open at Qantas” key business airports of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane by mid-2008, as well as separate conference facilities in Melbourne and Sydney.
Singapore Airlines is the A380 launch customer and will take progressive delivery from October this year for entry into service on routes to Sydney, while other airlines are gradually releasing details of how they will configure and design the vast machine.
