Air France: A world first: D-1 before the A380 arrives in Africa
16-Feb-2010 On 17 February and just a few months before the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Air France will inaugurate its first flight by A380 to Johannesburg, making it the world's first airline to operate this aircraft to the African continent.
This superjumbo will begin operating flight AF990 Paris-Johannesburg tomorrow. It will depart from Paris-CDG 2E at 23.20 and arrive at 10.55 the following day, after a total flight time of 10 hours and 35 minutes.
The Airbus A380 comprises three cabin classes divided between two decks
The A380 can carry 538 passengers and offers 3 classes:
- La Première (First), located on the main deck, is fitted with 9 seats, a private bar and a new private changing cabin;
- Affaires (Business), located on the upper deck, is fitted with 80 seats and offers, along with la Première, access to the in-flight gallery dedicated to art and culture;
- Voyageur (Economy), divided between the two decks, is fitted with 449 seats and three bars divided between the two levels.
On 20 November 2009, with its inaugural flight from Paris to New York, Air France became the the first European airline to operate transatlantic flights by A380. The airline took delivery of its first A380 on 30 October 2009.