Asiana Airlines has taken delivery of the first of six A380s it has on order.
The South Korean carrier received its superjumbo during a ceremony at Airbus' Toulouse assembly line yesterday.
Asiana Airlines' first A380 takes off from the Airbus assembly line in Toulouse yesterday
Above and below: The South Korean carrier's A380 is rolled out
Airbus president and CEO Fabrice Brégier handed over the aircraft to Park Sam Koo, chairman of Kumho Asiana Group.
Asiana will initially deploy its A380 from Seoul on regional services in Asia to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok, followed by long-haul routes to Los Angeles (see news, March 21).
Its will configure its superjumbos in a three-class layout, seating 495 passengers in 12 private First Suites, 66 fully-flat seats in Business Smartium (business class) and 417 seats in Travel Class (economy).
Staggered layout: Business Smartium (business class) on Asiana's A380
First class: There are 12 private First Suites on the Asiana superjumbo
Asiana's Park Sam Koo said: "We are delighted to receive our first A380 today, which is key to our future vision and fleet modernisation strategy.
"I am confident that Asiana can further enhance its level of customer service and that the A380 will play a significant role in helping us to remain at the forefront of the airline business."
Graham Smith
