Just when you thought 555 passengers was a lot to fit in a commercial airliner, try 840. Air Austral, the flag carrier of Reunion in the southern Indian Ocean, purchased two all-economy versions of the aircraft – the first all economy version Airbus has sold. Is it safe, and how will it affect ticket prices?
Airbus’s chief operating officer, John Leahy, says the plane still will have wider seats, wider aisles, and more space for each passenger compared to Airbus’s competitors. Fare price wise, this ultra-high capacity aircraft is expected to cut the price of travel.
Gerard Etheve, Air Austral’s president, said the carrier sees their future in providing low-cost mass transit options from the French-owned island to mainland France. Airbus says this aircraft could potentially be the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft flying today.
This high density configuration is certified by the civil aviation authorities, after Airbus was able to successfully administer a fire test, in which 873 people were safely evacuated from the aircraft in under 80 seconds – yet, isn’t it a whole lot easier to evacuate a plane when it’s planned?
I’m curious as to how well this mass-transit idea will work. Even with three air bridges docked to the aircraft, how quick is it to enplane / deplane an aircraft with a configuration like this?
