British Airways has welcomed its twelfth A380 into its long-haul aircraft fleet. The airline’s steadily increasing number of A380 destinations has especially pleased British Airways Captain Claire Bunton, one of the company’s near-270 specialist A380 pilots and a former kitesurfing champion.
Captain Claire Bunton, said: “It’s a great aircraft to fly, and I`m very lucky that there are a few of my favourite kitesurfing spots on our A380 network as well. “I’m pretty spoilt for choice. Whether you’re talking about LA’s Seal and Belmont beaches, Miami at Crandon Park or the San Francisco Bay at Third Ave, Crissy, Sherman Island or Ocean Beach – there’s some pretty amazing places you can get out on the water. “I’ve yet to explore the kitesurfing hotspots of Hong Kong, Singapore and Vancouver, but they’re definitely on my ‘to do’ list! “It’s great to be able to offer a wider range of destinations to our customers – but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t very pleased as well!”
The latest delivery is the last of the airline’s initial order and will join the other 11 already flying to nine different global destinations; Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapore, Johannesburg, London, Miami and Washington*. The double-decker, four-engine aircraft is the world’s largest commercial jet and British Airways offers 469 seats to customers in four different cabins.
Around 4,600 of the airline’s highly trained cabin crew have received certification to work on board the A380 aircraft fleet.