The Airbus A380 will be entering airlines fleets in 2006, and the impact will be felt initially on the long haul internation routes before they impact domestic routes. These double decker planes are the largest passenger airplanes to go into service. An interesting article from the New Zealand Herald discusses the impact that will be felt on this hard to reach nation with the coming of the A380.

In 2005 the Airbus A380 finally took to the skies. Singapore Airlines will be the first to fly the new plane - it hopes later this year, barring any more delays in testing.

And the giant jet - while not expected to be a regular visitor to Auckland, will be flying not too far from us, with Singapore Airlines first deploying it on the Sydney-Singapore-London route.

There is a total of 159 “orders and commitments” for the massive new plane, though not all are for the passenger model, with the world’s cargo operators keen to start using the freighter version, which is yet to fly.

The impact of the plane on world aviation has been debated for years. Airbus says it may have the same kind of effect as the introduction of the Boeing 747 in the late 1960s - dramatically lowering the cost of air travel.

Emirates, the Dubai-based airline that has been flying to New Zealand for just over two years, may again shake up the local aviation scene with its anticipated Auckland-Dubai direct flights.

Aviation sector awaits A380 effect - 09 Jan 2006 - Business.