The biggest commercial aircraft in the world, the Airbus A380, is ready for a big change. It is reportedly looking to size down the iconic “grand staircase” of the aircraft.
The wide staircase at the front of the plane will be replaced with a more compact design, while the slimmer spiral staircase at the back of the aircraft will also be modified. The new slimmer design is expected to create room for an extra 40 to 50 passenger seats.
The staircase at the front of the aircraft, which leads to first class, is a hallmark feature of the double-decker jet.
Details of the remake are yet to be finalised but the pending redesign aims to increase profitability by raising the aircraft’s capacity to more than 600. Fuel consumption could also be improved with the addition of vertical wingtips, which could potentially improve efficiency by around two per cent.
Airbus officials declined to comment on the plans, which have yet to be finalised and approved.
A spokesman said that, Airbus is always studying opportunities to improve their aircraft.
The sweeping staircase was one of the most talked-about features of the A380 when it was rolled out in 2005, but sales have fallen in recent years due to the popularity of smaller twin-engine jets with large cargo capacity that are cheaper to fly.
