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Airbus will literally raise the floor on the Airbus A380 to accommodate 18-inch wide economy class seats in 11-abreast configuration, Mark Lapidus, CEO of leasing company Amedeo revealed today at the ISTAT conference in San Diego.
“We pushed Airbus very hard to get 11-abreast introduced, [which adds] 35 to 40 extra seats, and it puts in perspective the unit cost issue,” said Lapidus.
Crucially, he said, Airbus will go 11-abreast “and still deliver an 18-inch seat”. This will be accomplished by “raising the floor by two inches in the wider part of the aircraft”.
The economics of the aircraft will be “significantly improved” he said, adding that “on a per square foot basis, the A380-800 will have lower unit [costs] than the A350-1000 and the 777X”.
Airbus is eager to tempt its largest A380 customer, Emirates, to take delivery of the double-decker aircraft in 11-abreast configuration. The manufacturer will reveal a new 11-abreast A380 cabin mock-up at the forthcoming Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Runway Girl Network can reveal.
Last fall, after announcing a fresh order for 50 A380s, Emirates president Tim Clark was asked about the carrier’s interest level in offering an 11-abreast layout, which would increase the number of economy seats on the double decker aircraft by about 40. Clark responded that he was “sure Airbus is going to persuade us to do it”, but that the airline wanted to make sure the seats remain at least 18 inches wide. Emirates currently offers 19-inch wide seats in 10-abreast formation on its A380s.
An Airbus executive told Runway Girl Network at ISTAT that the airframer has also achieved an 18-inch wide seat in 11-abreast configuration through creative shaping of the armrests. Airbus has not removed the window seat armrest, he said.
Has Airbus pursued a 4-3-4 layout or 3-5-3? This wasn’t mentioned on the panel, but Air Lease Corp chief Steven Udvar-Hazy figuratively suggested that an 11-abreast configuration would be super-snug for passengers when he jumped on the moderator to prove his point (unfortunately we don’t have photographer evidence of this, but we hope someone took a picture!)
The 3-5-3 configuration has been a point of concern for Emirates. Indeed, Tim Clark “said the real issue [with an 11-abreast A380] is the middle seat of 5 in the 3-5-3 configuration. Emirates is focused on comfort and I don’t think we’d ever compromise on that,” Emirates VP, product, publishing, digital and events Patrick Brannelly previously told us.
Airbus will literally raise the floor on the Airbus A380 to accommodate 18-inch wide economy class seats in 11-abreast configuration, Mark Lapidus, CEO of leasing company Amedeo revealed today at the ISTAT conference in San Diego.
“We pushed Airbus very hard to get 11-abreast introduced, [which adds] 35 to 40 extra seats, and it puts in perspective the unit cost issue,” said Lapidus.
Crucially, he said, Airbus will go 11-abreast “and still deliver an 18-inch seat”. This will be accomplished by “raising the floor by two inches in the wider part of the aircraft”.
The economics of the aircraft will be “significantly improved” he said, adding that “on a per square foot basis, the A380-800 will have lower unit [costs] than the A350-1000 and the 777X”.
Airbus is eager to tempt its largest A380 customer, Emirates, to take delivery of the double-decker aircraft in 11-abreast configuration. The manufacturer will reveal a new 11-abreast A380 cabin mock-up at the forthcoming Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Runway Girl Network can reveal.
Last fall, after announcing a fresh order for 50 A380s, Emirates president Tim Clark was asked about the carrier’s interest level in offering an 11-abreast layout, which would increase the number of economy seats on the double decker aircraft by about 40. Clark responded that he was “sure Airbus is going to persuade us to do it”, but that the airline wanted to make sure the seats remain at least 18 inches wide. Emirates currently offers 19-inch wide seats in 10-abreast formation on its A380s.
An Airbus executive told Runway Girl Network at ISTAT that the airframer has also achieved an 18-inch wide seat in 11-abreast configuration through creative shaping of the armrests. Airbus has not removed the window seat armrest, he said.
Has Airbus pursued a 4-3-4 layout or 3-5-3? This wasn’t mentioned on the panel, but Air Lease Corp chief Steven Udvar-Hazy figuratively suggested that an 11-abreast configuration would be super-snug for passengers when he jumped on the moderator to prove his point (unfortunately we don’t have photographer evidence of this, but we hope someone took a picture!)
The 3-5-3 configuration has been a point of concern for Emirates. Indeed, Tim Clark “said the real issue [with an 11-abreast A380] is the middle seat of 5 in the 3-5-3 configuration. Emirates is focused on comfort and I don’t think we’d ever compromise on that,” Emirates VP, product, publishing, digital and events Patrick Brannelly previously told us.
