Flying on the Airbus A380 Out of LAX ...

... the thing that stands out most is the quiet. The ‘hum’ that is almost a trademark of the engines on other Airbus airliners isn’t heard. Rather, on the rollout down the LAX runway, the conversations of the passengers (mostly media) seem louder than the noise of the aircraft itself. Qantas recently took delivery of the first of 20 A380s it has on order, and this week launched service to LAX from Melbourne. Regular service to Sydney is next, followed by London, once Qantas takes delivery of two more A380s by year end. The Australian carrier launched its new service amid much fanfare on Monday, including crewmembers ‘Captain’ John Travolta and Aussie star Olivia Newton-John. A demonstration flight took media reps and other guests up the coast of California, circling the Golden Gate Bridge before returning to Los Angeles. Wally Mariani, senior VP for the Americas and Pacific for Qantas, says that it is the quiet of the A380 that airports should be promoting to their communities. “This is the quietest, greenest aircraft in the world,†Mariani says, “and airports need to help get that message across to their neighbors.†Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa stresses the economic impact, projecting that the A380 service to Australia will generate some $600 million annually for the region, along with some 3,000 jobs. The region can use it – Los Angeles World Airports’ director Gina Marie Lindsey estimates that airlines have cut back service by 14 percent this fall at LAX and by 30 percent at Ontario International. As the aviation industry undergoes a redefinition globally during these economically stressful times, the A380 is going to play a key role in future international travel. For airports like LAX, it can’t come soon enough. Thanks for reading. jfi