Emirates made headlines around the world last year by increasing capacity to 615 passengers on select A380 routes. Perhaps even more miraculous than a town full of people boarding a single aircraft, the configuration managed to avoid adding the most dreaded concept for economy passengers, the eleventh seat across economy. On the heels of success, Airbus is aiming to squeeze in more seats and this time it really is bad news…
In a recent investor presentation, Airbus promoted what it sees as an opportunity for it’s airline customers to squeeze an additional 29 million dollars in revenue out of each A380 by moving to 11 seats across economy, 9 seats across premium economy, reducing storage space (side bins) in business class and using less space for their staircase and crew rest areas. If it sounds bonkers to you, you’re not alone…
If you’re fascinated at the idea of 615 passengers getting onto a plane that could actually leave the ground you’ll certainly be fascinated to know that the Airbus A380 is certified to hold a maximum of 853 passengers. All systems seem to be going in that direction. After all, increasing revenue is paramount for airlines and Airbus needs to attract new business to it’s dwindling A380 program…
If economy feels cramped today, with most carriers operating roughly 544 passengers per flight, imagine the joys of boarding a flight with an entire concert hall full of people who are all going to need a share of that “space” you’ve become so used to. You’ll definitely want to avoid the new “middle, middle” seat…
