Airbus Reconfiguring A380, Combining Crew Rest Areas to Fit Additional Seats

Airbus revisits configurations of the A380 to accommodate more passengers in order to make the superjumbo more attractive.

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is considering new configurations for its A380 superjumbo with the goal of increasing passenger capacity. FlightGlobal reports the reconfiguration will combine crew rest areas, ultimately freeing up room for more seats aboard the double-deck aircraft.

The plan was unveiled last week at Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse. Under the plan, the cabin crew rest area would be combined with the flight crew rest area to form a single rest area located immediately behind the cockpit. As a result, engineers claim they could install as many as six additional premium economy seats.

In addition to the reconfiguration, Airbus is advertising additional ways the giant aircraft could be commercially viable and attractive to airlines around the world. According to the European aircraft manufacturer, when the A380 is configured correctly, operating costs could be 23 percent cheaper per seat than the rival Boeing 777-9.

“We are focusing on having an A380 which is more attractive, which is — from an economics point-of-view — more efficient, with an optimized cabin,” said Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier. “This is today’s priority.”

The changes come as many are questioning the future of the world’s first superjumbo. At the end of 2014, Airbus was considering a number of options for the aircraft, including halting manufacturing entirely as a last resort. The new configurations are in development now and could be applied to future A380 deliveries. According to Airbus, passengers could see the new configurations as soon as 2017.

[Photo: Airbus]