The Ritz Has Wings

• Comparable with luxury cruise liners, the Airbus 380 has a dozen premium first class suites.
  
• The superjumbo offers promise of lowering operation costs and reduced fares of long-haul flights.
  
• Kingfisher to receive five A380s by 2010-11, while Air India is in talks to acquire about a dozen superjumbos.

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As for the global economics of the giant omnibus, critics aver that like the Boeing 747 that revolutionised international air travel in the 1970s by making it accessible to millions, the A380 too could bring down fares in the economy segment. Although some experts also believe that Airbus is pursuing the wrong strategy by producing the superjumbo in a market that is more likely to be interested in smaller and mid-sized planes. "There is space for both," said Thomas Lee, aviation expert on-board the A380. Lee, who speaks with the experience of one who has also flown the inaugural flight of Boeing 747, feels there is room for both superjumbo and smaller planes.

In the Indian context, given the eagerness of operators to begin long-haul international operations, the A380 is set to play a significant role in the plans of all major airlines—be it Air India, Kingfisher Airlines or Jet Airways. Currently, Kingfisher is the only airline to have ordered five A380 aircraft for delivery in 2010-11. Air India is also in talks to buy 10-12 A380s.

Airbus chief executive officer Thomas Enders says, "India is one of the most important growing markets for us and we are in discussions with Air India now." Lee adds: "Global air traffic is expected to triple in the next 20 years. With a major portion of that growth coming from India, it is but natural that Air India is interested in purchasing such long-haul aircraft. If Kingfisher and Air India want it, could Jet Airways be far behind?"

A major hitch in the plans of Indian carriers could be that no airport within the country is currently equipped to handle the superjumbo, although a display A380 was flown to Delhi and Mumbai airports earlier this year. Hyderabad will be the first Indian airport capable of commercially receiving A380s by March next year.

Which means Indian passengers will have to wait for some more time to get a feel of this ultimate in-flight luxury.