[PHOTOS] ANA Takes Delivery of Its First Airbus A380
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All Nippon Airways’ A380 features 60 economy-class couch seats, making it the first airline in Japan to introduce this concept.
All Nippon Airways took delivery of its first of three Airbus A380 aircraft yesterday in Toulouse. The Japanese airline is the first A380 operator in Japan and the 15th in the world. ANA will operate the world’s largest passenger aircraft on its route between Tokyo Narita and Honolulu, starting May 24.
“We will commit all three of our Airbus A380s to the Tokyo-Honolulu route, with the goal of introducing a new level of luxury service to our passengers flying ANA on the number one resort route for Japanese travelers,” said Shinya Katanozaka, president and CEO of ANA HOLDINGS INC.
ANA’s A380 has a capacity of 520 passengers, in a four-class configuration. The upper deck features eight first-class suites, 56 lie-flat business-class seats and 73 premium economy seats. The main deck holds 383 economy seats – including 60 couch seats, which are each comprised of three or four seats that can be turned into a couch by folding up the leg rests. The superjumbo aircraft features ANA’s latest in-flight entertainment systems, as well as connectivity in all classes.
“The beginnings of our cooperation date back to 1986, when ANA ordered 20 Airbus A320s,” said Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus. “All Nippon Airways has never ordered or received an Airbus wide-body aircraft before, so this is the first and very important delivery for us.”
Each of ANA’s A380s will feature a honu (Hawaiian green sea turtle) on its livery. The first one, named Lani, is blue, representing the sky. The livery took 21 days, 120 people and 3300 liters of paint to create – the longest paint job in Airbus’ history. The second, called Kai, will be green to symbolize the ocean and is expected to roll out of the paint shop on March 25. The final one, Ka La, will be orange and named after the Hawaiian word for sunset.
“The Flying Honu is designed to offer unprecedented comfort and convenience and a world of new possibilities to ANA passengers.” Katanozaka said. “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.”