British Airways to get new Boeing, Airbus aircraft with new seating layout
British Airways has announced cabin design and layout for its new Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 long-haul aircraft due to be delivered in six months.
The B787 Dreamliner would accommodate 214 BA customers while the A380, would be the largest aircraft in the BA fleet, accommodating 469 passengers.
The 24 Dreamliners and 12 A380s will feature the elegant cabin designs fitted on British Airways’ new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which have proved hugely popular with customers.
This was contained in a statement released in Accra on Tuesday.
All eight 787-8s will feature a new Club World 2:3:2 layout, the latest generation World Traveller and World Traveller Plus seats. In addition, the new A380 will also have an enhanced version of First.
The exact seating plans of another sixteen 787-9s on order have yet to be finalised, but could have three or four-cabin configurations.
British Airways is set to be the first European airline to operate both new aircraft types, with its first Dreamliner arriving in May and A380 deliveries starting in July, 2013.
Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of International Airlines Group (IAG), speaking in Seoul, said: “We are investing £5bn in British Airways’ new and upgraded aircraft, innovative technologies and customer services.
“We now have six Boeing 777-300ERs all fitted with our latest cabins. Our customer feedback and satisfaction scores show the seat and cabin designs have achieved the highest ratings we have ever seen.
“By next spring we will have finished installing our new First cabins. The nine new aircraft we take delivery of in 2013 will feature our latest signature designs to ensure the customer experience maintains the highest standard across our fleet”, he stated.
The British Airways Dreamliner will have 35 seats for customers in the new Club World triple configuration of 2:3:2; 25 seats in a World Traveller Plus layout of 2:3:2; and a further 154 seats for those travelling in World Traveller, with a 3:3:3 configuration.
On the British Airways A380 there will be 14 seats in First on the main deck, with extra personal and stowage space; the Club World cabin will feature 44 seats in a 2:4:2 configuration; and there will be 199 seats in World Traveller, with a 3:4:3 layout.
The A380 upper deck will feature 53 seats in the new Club World triple configuration of 2:3:2; 55 seats in a 2:3:2 World Traveller Plus layout; and World Traveller will have 104 seats in a 2:4:2 configuration.
Both new aircraft would also feature the airline’s latest Thales in-flight entertainment system, which offers customers 50 per cent more movies, 200 per cent more TV shows and 200 per cent more audio programmes and music.
Customers will also benefit from new larger screens in all cabins and an easier to use system with shortcut buttons. They will also be able to connect personal devices, such as laptops and use the in-seat power available for the first time in all cabins.
In 2013, British Airways will take delivery of nine new long-haul aircraft. The first British Airways Dreamliner will be delivered in May 2013. A further three will arrive by the end of the year. The first A380 will be delivered in July, with additional deliveries in August and October. Two additional 777-300ERs will arrive in September and October.
British Airways will announce the routes the new aircraft will operate in spring 2013, the statement indicated.
Source: GNA