A380 arrives to Latin America

Air France strats first regular flight to Mexico

A major milestone was reached in January. The A380 arrived in Mexico City the world’s third largest city.

This arrival marked the first-ever scheduled service of the A380, which is operated by Air France, to Mexico and Latin America. Honored guests and press were delighted to watch the first arrival of the favorite double-decker from a prime location at the airport.

The arrival of the biggest passenger aircraft in the world was timely. Receiving over 38 million passengers annually, Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport is indeed at capacity. As Airbus previously reported during April’s Global Market Forecast (GMF) event in Mexico City, Mexico will soon become one of the world’s aviation ‘megacities’ transporting 10,000 long-range passengers per day.

Clearly, the A380 makes a lot of sense for heavily congested airports with high traffic growth like Benito Juarez. The A380 tackles this problem by offering over 50 percent higher passenger surface area than its closest competitor, while reducing the operational cost per seat. It is no secret that the A380 is an essential part of the solution to sustainable growth in Mexico and other megacities by doing more with less: alleviating traffic congestion at busy airports by transporting more passengers with fewer flights.

Mexico is the 50th airport in which this aircraft is operating and Airbus expects this number to continue growing, specifically in Latin America. Brazil’s Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro airports have already received certification and Airbus expects regular flights to commence in the future.

Overall, the A380 offers the most comfortable, quiet, efficient and innovative cabin that enables airlines to generate the highest profit. The A380 has the lowest fuel burn and cost per seat; it leverages the latest technology, is the quietest aircraft in its class and has been certificated to the very latest standards.

Airbus is excited to see it finally operating in the region and welcomes the A380 to Latin America!

For more information:
Gonzalo Ramos Garzon, Regional Sales Director
gonzalo.ramos-garzon@airbus.com