With the first of the airline’s new long-haul aircraft only six months away from delivery, British Airways has announced the cabin design and layout for its Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 aircraft. BA’s Dreamliner will carry 214 passengers and the A380 will be the largest aircraft in the fleet, with 469 passengers.
The 24 Dreamliners and 12 A380s will feature the elegant cabin designs fitted on British Airways’ new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which have proved hugely popular with customers. All eight B787-8s will feature a new Club World 2x3x2 layout, the latest generation World Traveller and World Traveller Plus seats.
In addition, the new A380 will have an enhanced version of First.
The exact seating plans of another 16 B787-9s on order have yet to be finalised, but they could have three or four-cabin configurations.
British Airways is set to be the first European airline to operate both new aircraft types, with its first Dreamliner arriving in May and A380 deliveries starting in July.
Speaking in Seoul, Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of International Airlines Group, said: “We are investing £5 billion in British Airways’ new and upgraded aircraft, innovative technologies and customer services. We now have six Boeing 777-300ERs all fitted with our latest cabins. Our customer feedback and satisfaction scores show the seat and cabin designs have achieved the highest ratings we have ever seen.
“By next spring we will have finished installing our new First cabins.
“The nine new aircraft we take delivery of in 2013 will feature our latest signature designs to ensure the customer experience maintains the highest standard across our fleet.”
BA’s Dreamliner will have 35 seats in the new Club World triple configuration of 2x3x2; 25 seats in a World Traveller Plus layout of 2x3x2; and a further 154 seats for those travelling in World Traveller, with a 3x3x3 configuration.
On the A380 there will be 14 seats in First on the main deck, with extra personal and stowage space; the Club World cabin will feature 44 seats in a 2x4x2 configuration; and there will be 199 seats in World Traveller, with a 3x4x3 layout.
The A380 upper deck will feature 53 seats in the new Club World triple configuration of 2x3x2; 55 seats in a 2x3x2 World Traveller Plus layout; and World Traveller will have 104 seats in a 2x4x2 configuration.
Both new aircraft will also feature the airline’s latest Thales inflight entertainment system, which offers passengers 50% more movies, 200% more TV shows and 200% more audio programmes and music.
BA will announce the routes that the new aircraft will operate in spring 2013.
