A380 rollout finally arrives! (17/01/05)

With the house-liveried rollout of the first A380 in front of the world's press, the event promises to be on a scale not seen since the rollout of Concordes 001 and 002 at Toulouse and Filton respectively. Not since those days in 1968 has such anticipation and excitement surrounded the rollout of a single new aircraft.

Make no mistake, the event is as significant if not more so that it's illustrious predecessor some thrity five years ago, because this time the consortium building the aircraft truly believe that they have got the forecasts correct.

Nearly half a century ago the designers and consultants in the UK and France believed that the way forward in passenger flight was speed and comfort. The oil crisis, the arrival of the term global warming and America's NIMBYs put paid to Concorde's short but glittering career as the future of air travel. Only two airlines ever took up their options on the aircraft, and instead airlines opted for mass carriage instead of comfort and speed. The Jumbo jet - Boeing's 747 - fulfilled this new need much better than Concorde, and production of Concorde stuttered to a halt in 1979.

European Commissioners Günter Verheugen, Jacques Barrot and Peter Mandelson have hailed the unveiling of the new Airbus A380 in Toulouse as a “European success story”. The development of the A380, the world’s largest passenger jet, shows what Europe can achieve by working together and by investing in skills, research and technology.

Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen, responsible for Enterprise and Industry said “The Super-Airbus demonstrates that working together in the EU pays off. It also shows that with the right policy framework EU industry can perform even in the most fiercely competitive and high-tech businesses. We must extend this approach to all aerospace issues.”

Vice-President Jacques Barrot, responsible for Transport added “The A380 opens a new chapter in the aerospace industry. It will bring the benefits of air travel to many more people. The A-380 is a symbol of what Europe can achieve by working together”.

Referring to the EU-US agreement to launch negotiations on government support affecting Airbus and its American competitor Boeing, EU Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson, said: "I am glad that the EU and the US have been able to agree a way forward. This agreement creates a positive atmosphere for more work to strengthen the economic partnership between the EU and the US, which is vital for both of us. The A380 shows that Airbus is clearly capable of competing in a global marketplace. This is a cutting-edge aeroplane from a cutting-edge European company."

This time, the Airbus/EADS people really do appear to have got it right, with the striking new A380 already having received firm orders for 129 at the time of writing. The one irony is that, without Concorde, there would probably not have been an A380, and so we can all tip our hats in thanks once again to our wonderful Speedbird.

We all hope that this new, exciting chapter in the consortium's history proves to be a fruitful and long-lasting one, to ensure the livelihoods of thousands of workers all around Europe for many years to come.

A380 specifications