A bi-coastal welcome for the Airbus A380

摘要

In an article in the Los Angeles Times for 20~(th) March ('Airbus c'est arrive!'), writer Paul Thornton offered a few facts that went unmentioned by any of the luminaries who gathered the day before to greet the mega-jumbo Airbus A380 on its first arrival on the West Coast. Los Angeles Airport had lobbied hard for the honour. And, more than a year before, LAX officials had been told that they would host the A380's first US stop if they fast-tracked gate upgrades to accommodate the big plane. But, even though LAX fulfilled its part of the bargain, Airbus decided to send the A380 to New York's John F Kennedy Airport instead. LAX officials complained, and Airbus crafted a compromise: two A380s would land, minutes apart, at JFK and LAX. Mr Thornton wrote: "Alas, [Los Angeles] got the consolation prize. New York hosted a fully decked-out plane carrying nearly 500 passengers - mostly Lufthansa and Airbus employees - who enjoyed full meal service on their transatlantic hop.