KOREAN AIR took delivery of its first Airbus A380 in Toulouse. The first carrier from North East Asia to take delivery of the A380 superjumbo, Korean's offering includes a bar and lounge area for premium passengers at the back of the upper deck. Korean is currently the only airline to dedicate the whole of the upper deck of the aircraft to business class seating, and has also configured the plane with the fewest total number of seats, at 407. However SIA will match this number with its second A380 configuration, and will also move to an all-business class upper deck on these new aircraft.
The A380 has been designed to burn considerably less fuel per passenger than its Boeing counterpart, the B747- 400, making it more environmentally friendly and more cost efficient. The aircraft is much in demand, with some 18 airlines having ordered a total of 234 A380s. Many carriers, however, are several years away from receiving even their first. The Airbus factory in Toulouse, where all A380s are assembled, is currently only operating at half its potential capacity, but next year hopes to reach its full capability with four aircraft completed per month.