Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

"Superjumbo" goes regional

Relaxnews
Tuesday 30 March 2010 19:00 EDT
Comments
(Emirates)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Manchester Airport will become the world's first regional airport to host the "superjumbo" Airbus A380 aircraft.

The announcement, made by Emirates airline on March 30, could mean that consumers will soon see the massive planes serving smaller locations.

Manchester Airport is the smallest of the UK's major airports, handling around a quarter of the people that pass through London's busy Heathrow airport. Emirates will fly the A380 between Dubai and Manchester daily from September 1.

When the A380 first launched, the US Government Accountability Office raised concerns over airports' ability to handle the massive jet, which seats over 500 people on two levels. It believed that the girth of the plane could delay other aircraft both on the ground and in the sky, and until now, airlines have restricted the aircraft's operations to major capital cities only.

With Manchester Airport stating that it required £10 million (€11.2 million) of modification to handle the jet, other regional airports may now be weighing the benefits of catering the A380. With over 200 of the aircraft on order to airlines around the world, it seems that the destination list for the "superjumbo" could be about to get longer.

Website: http://www.emirates.com

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in