Green and quiet giant
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Airbus largest aircraft enters commercial service with impeccable environmental credentials. Not only does it have the lowest fuel burn and largest capacity of any large aircraft, it also produces significantly less noise. The A380 burns 17 per cent less fuel per seat than today's largest aircraft. Low fuel burn means low CO2 emissions, with the A380 producing only 75g of CO2 per passenger and per kilometre, almost half of the target set by the European Union for cars manufactured in 2008.

This efficiency is due in part to its structure, more than 25 per cent of which is built using composite and other lightweight materials. Also the latest innovations in aerodynamics have reduced drag to a minimum, further improving fuel efficiency.

Moreover, the A380 is fitted with new state of the art high by-pass engines that contribute to the overall fuel burn reduction. These engines not only meet the current regulatory limits (ICAO-CAEP 4) with significant margins but are already in line with the most stringent future regulatory limits (ICAO-CAEP 6) in terms of NOx emissions.

The A380 has also been designed to be significantly quieter than other large aircraft, producing half the noise energy at take off and cutting the area exposed to equivalent noise levels around the airport runway by half.

In addition to meeting the international regulations, this also means that the A380 minimises the noise impact on the airport neighbourhood. This reduction has been achieved through the optimisation of the engines, nacelles and airframe.

Furthermore, the A380 is equipped with an innovative function that enables the flight management system (FMS) to be programmed with departure tracks that are optimised for noise as well as performance. These allow the aircraft to reduce the take off noise while taking into account actual aircraft parameters and ambient conditions.

The A380 is designed to address the ever-growing demand for air travel through its airport compatibility and passenger capacity. Its highly efficient wing design allows the A380 to take-off and land in less distance than today's largest aircraft, so that it can use existing runways and does not require new infrastructure. And, carrying 40 per cent more passengers per flight, the A380 can increase airlines’ capacity on popular routes, without the need for a major increase in flights.