If the sheer size of the Airbus A380 managed to steal the show at the India Aviation 2014 event, then the exotic interiors customised by the Emirates Airways left visitors awestruck.
On the inaugural day of the event on Wednesday, the double-decker passenger plane drew crowds right from the time it made a touchdown at the Begumpet airport. The aircraft, though a little behind schedule, arrived at around 11.30 a.m. to a rousing reception which was then followed by a welcome shower by twin fire engines.
The flight on display, which routinely flies between Dubai and New York by Emirates Airways, has a seating capacity of 517 seats divided into three sections. The main deck or the executive class has a seating for about 427 passengers. The beige and peach-coloured seats adorn the entire section along with an 11-inch screen with 1,500 channels.
However, taking the elegantly designed stairs to the upper deck is sure to transport one into the world of royalty. The upper deck is divided into two sections, business and first class. Each of the 76-seater business class section comes with a tab, 19-inch screen monitor with a complete lie-flat seat and a satellite phone thrown in, at calls priced at just US $ 5 per minute.
Moving forward, the entrance to the ultra-luxurious first class is a spacious bar counter. “Many passengers like to socialise in this section. They order drinks and talk to co-passengers and that makes the journey quite memorable,” explained a flight attendant.
In this section there are a total of 14 seats, each of which comes with a spacious cabin area and a refrigerator. That is not all, two separate spa enclosures can be availed by the passengers. Expansive Dubai wallpaper in the background, an array of toilet products are at the disposal of the passengers who make prior booking to use the services, said Anais Thourand of Airbus.
Even as the A380 prepares to exit the display on Friday, March 14, the visitors more than wished to see the aircraft more often in the skies of Hyderabad.
