The A380 is certainly impressive. Doubtless you've seen the numbers on the beluga bird elsewhere, but the statistics that few seem to be considering remain unmentioned: What is the plane's arrival going to be like for everyone else in the airport where the A380 comes to town?
Imagine returning to JFK or O'Hare from Europe. Typically, flights get in mid-afternoon. Now imagine sharing the baggage carousel with 555 other bags coming off the A380--assuming everyone else brings a single suitcase--and standing behind 555 cranky passengers at customs and immigration.
A 747 holds 100 fewer people, yes, but there are a lot more of them flying more varied routes (i.e. not always jammed). Airbus is touting the A380 to function on margins based on packing them in on super-full routes. So when the baggage carousel looks like this, you'll have Toulouse to thank.
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