Sky Cruising

30 November -0001

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Cruise passengers have come to expect the ultimate in luxury when travelling. Gyms, Casinos, Beauty Salons are now among the basics of a cruise ship, but until now, flight passengers have expected more basic accomodation.

But if the Air travel industry is to be believed, Flight passengers may come to expect the same standards at 35'000 feet after Airbus revealed its new 555 seat double decker Super Jumbo - the A380. It's tipped as the "flying cruise liner" with private bedrooms, Gym, Casino, food counters, stand up bars and, in the case of the Six super Jumbos ordered by Virgin Atlantic - Double beds.

However, some Airline bosses remain unimpressed. Carrying a third more passengers than it's nearest Rival, the Boeing 747, the ultimate luxury plane will have economy seats at just ONE inch wider than normal. Even as the envoronmentaly friendly jumbo, airlines will still need to pack passengers in to make it viable. Airports will have to spend millions on modifying buildings and runways to allow them to accept the plane and one airline boss even said the airbus could be too big.

That's not to detract form the fact that production of the Super Jumbo will create almost 100'000 jobs in the UK with wings, engines and landing gear expected to be made over here.

The company has already recieved 149 orders for the plane from 14 different airlines including Virgin Atlantic, Quantas, Air France, Emirates and Lifthsuania. It's expected to take it's test flight in april of this year, before entering passenger service in 2006.

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