Qantas flight 93 touched down at Los Angeles International Airport early yesterday, completing the airline’s first A380 flight from Melbourne, Australia. The world’s biggest jetliner was greeted by public officials and Hollywood celebrities, including John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
Passengers described the flight as “smooth” and “quiet.” The A380 is expected to alter the skies over Southern California much like its predecessor, the Boeing 747, when it awed spectators and travelers when it began service from LAX 40 years ago.
Qantas plans to operate twice-weekly A380 flights between Melbourne and Los Angeles and another A380 flight between Sydney and Los Angeles starting Friday. Until now, the carrier has been operating six flights a day using the 747 for these flights.
The carrier decided to fly the A380 to LAX from Australia because it is considered one of the most profitable routes in the world. A roundtrip business-class ticket sells for more than $18,000.
Despite the fact that the A380 is 25 percent larger than a typical long-haul aircraft like the Boeing 747 and the Boeing 777, passengers said that they had relatively few problems getting through customs and getting their bags.
Still, the A380 is not without its detractors. Some observers have criticized the aircraft saying that it’s too large and would clog airport operations.
It remains to be seen whether the A380 will stay the course or go the way of the Concorde.
