Huge A380 airplane makes first landing at DFW Airport

The familiar white kangaroo logo on the Qantas Airways tail donned a tan cowboy hat and blue bandanna for the Australian carrier’s first flight of a double-decker Airbus A380 between Sydney and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

The A380, the largest commercial passenger jet in the world, landed at DFW at 1:21 p.m. Monday, completing what is the longest commercial air route in the world, covering close to 8,600 miles and lasting about 15 hours.

Qantas had been using a Boeing 747-400 since it launched the route in 2011, and by upgrading to the larger A380, the Australian carrier can now fly direct to Sydney. Using the 747, Qantas could fly nonstop from Sydney to DFW but had to stop in Brisbane on the return.

“We are committed and growing at Dallas/Fort Worth and now with the A380 flying here, we see nothing but a great future,” said Vanessa Hudson, Qantas’ senior executive vice president of the Americas.

DFW Airport spent $2.8 million to add a jetbridge at Terminal D’s Gates 15 and 16 to accommodate the double-decker airplane.

Qantas will operate six flights a week, dropping its Tuesday flight. But since the A380 carries 484 passengers, the carrier will increase its seat capacity on the route by 10 percent per week.

“This is a very signficiant investment that Qantas is making in this route and in this region,” said DFW’s chief executive, Sean Donohue, adding that the flight brings $200 million in economic value to North Texas each year.

The Qantas A380 offers 14 individual first-class suites that feature electronically adjustable seats with a multi-zone massage function. The seats have been designed to add a dining table to accommodate passengers who want to dine as if they’re at a restaurant.

The second floor of the aircraft is dedicated to business class and premium economy passengers. Business travelers also have access to a lounge and meeting area that includes red leather couches.

Actor John Travolta was on hand to celebrate the inaugural A380 flight to DFW, greeting passengers and posing for photos with the aircraft after it landed. Travolta, an experienced pilot, is Qantas’ ambassador-at-large and said he had previously flown the A380, emphasizing the safety of the aircraft.

“Not only will you be flying with the best comfort and luxury, you will be flying on the safest aircraft in the world,” Travolta said.

The A380, manufactured by Airbus, began flying commercial routes in 2007. Several foreign carriers, such as Emirates Airline and British Airways, operate the A380, but no U.S. carriers, including Fort Worth-based American Airlines, have purchased the aircraft.

Qantas is part of the Oneworld alliance with American and has a partnership with Emirates Airline. Emirates, which operates a nonstop flight between DFW and Dubai, will begin using an A380 on its DFW route Wednesday.

Although Monday’s flight was the first scheduled landing of an A380 at DFW, the large aircraft has landed at DFW before. A Lufthansa A380 diverted to DFW in December because of severe weather at its destination in Houston.

How the A380 dwarfs the rest of the planes that fly out of DFW

This story was originally published September 29, 2014 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Huge A380 airplane makes first landing at DFW Airport."