The first A380 for All Nippon Airways (ANA) took to the skies on 17th September, flying between Airbus sites in Toulouse, France and Hamburg, Germany.
The first A380 for All Nippon Airways (ANA) took to the skies on 17th September, completing a maiden flight from the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France to the Airbus site in Hamburg, Germany.
ANA HOLDINGS INC. placed a firm order for three A380s in 2016, becoming the first customer for the superjumbo in Japan. The first delivery is scheduled early 2019, and the A380 will initially be operated on the popular Tokyo-Honolulu route.
The aircraft is now being prepared for cabin installation and painting in the airline’s special A380 livery, featuring the Hawaiian green sea turtle – a symbol of good luck and prosperity in Hawaii. The green sea turtle is known as the “Honu” in Hawaii, and ANA will adopt the name “Flying Honu” for its A380 fleet.
To date, Airbus has delivered 229 A380s, with the aircraft now in services with 14 airlines worldwide.
Prior to booking an Emirates order for up to 36 A380s in January, the company had announced plans to halve production, to 12 aircraft in 2018, followed by just eight in 2019. Then-President Airbus Commercial Aircraft Fabrice Brégier indicated that the production rate could drop to six aircraft per year, without any major impact on profitability.