![]() China Southern opted for a classic recline function rather than a fixed backshell. Each unit features a four-way adjustable headrest, articulated seat pan with 6in of recline, a rear footrest and a 9in IFE screen. The airline chose Sicma’s Airgonomic seating in economy, at 32in pitch. A memory function recalls the passenger’s preferred angle of recline at the press of a button. Both versions are 24in wide and feature a 15.4in monitor, shoe storage and mini-bar. Non-aisle seats are installed at 87in pitch and convert into 85in-long flat beds, while aisle seats are fitted at 77in pitch and offer 75in beds. As a result of this arrangement, non-aisle seats offer greater seat pitch and bed length than aisle-side seats, similar to business class on Emirates’ A380s. China Southern is the third A380 operator to specify and customise Contour’s Venus suite in first class.īusiness class sees Sicma’s Skylounge units in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, allowing the fully extended bed to unfold into the space underneath the side console of the seat in front. The 1.52m-high walls ensure a peaceful flight, blocking outside disturbances while a privacy divider between central pairs can be raised or lowered by the crew according to passenger wishes. Each purple seat converts into a fully flat 80in-long, 32in-wide bed and includes a massage function. More practical than pearlescent, the rather drab, sterile cabin lacks a certain sheen and warmth – it’s functional rather than fanciful, especially when compared with some of the luxury interiors installed on A380s operated by previous customers.įirst class, branded ‘Platinum’, features eight individual Contour-supplied suites installed at 82in pitch, complete with sliding doors, individual mini-bars, luggage cabinets with password locks, 23in HD LCD monitors and 61x48cm tables. Named the ‘Pearl of the Sky’ and described during the ceremony as a ‘dream machine’, the A380’s interior was sadly less inspiring than the build up to its arrival. The upper deck sees a further 76 economy seats (2-4-2) to the rear, followed by 70 lie-flat business-class seats in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration. Eight first-class suites (pictured above) feature at the front on the main deck in a 1-2-1 layout, followed by 352 economy seats in a 3-4-3 configuration. It opted to install 506 seats in total in a three-class configuration. The airline, which ordered five A380-800s, was the seventh A380 operator. “China will eventually fly, operate and need over 200 A380s by the year 2030,” noted Airbus’s CEO, Tom Enders, during the ceremony. The defining moment came when he hoisted a child aloft – symbolic perhaps of the A380 carrying the hopes of a new generation of Chinese travellers, while also underscoring the huge growth potential of China from an aerospace perspective. A giant among men, this particular fellow somehow managed to still look graceful and in step with his far more slight counterparts. However, what struck me most of all was the dancing that followed – the choreography was interesting enough, but what really grabbed my attention was the sheer size of one of the troupe. ![]() China Southern certainly didn’t disappoint in this respect – some traditional ‘shadow play’ and a child compère injected some freshness and fun into what can be quite a dry affair.
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