A380 tour

The A380 demonstration tour across Latin America – conducted during March 2012. During its circuit, the A380 aircraft made appearances at Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, followed by a starring role in Chile’s FIDAE air show near Santiago. The aircraft then continued to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a final stopover before returning to Airbus’ home base in Toulouse, France.

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Airbus is wrapping up the A380’s Latin America tour, during which the 21st century flagship visited multiple cities and took part in the region’s largest air show to underscore its capabilities in meeting this dynamic marketplace’s evolving air transport requirements.

30 March 2012 Headline news

During its circuit, the A380 demonstrator aircraft made appearances at Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, followed by a starring role in Chile’s FIDAE air show near Santiago. The aircraft continued to Buenos Aires, Argentina today for a final stopover before returning to Airbus’ home base in Toulouse, France.

The multi-country visit included a flight from Sao Paolo for visiting airline pilots, compatibility evaluations at Rio de Janeiro’s Galeao-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport, the presence at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport near Santiago for the...

Airbus unveils country’s market forecast at 2012 FIDAE Air Show

29 March 2012 Press Release

Airbus forecasts that Chilean Airlines will need 164 new passenger aircraft above 100 seats over the next 20 years to meet the demand of a growing air traffic market. The new 108 single-aisle, 53 twin-aisle and three very large aircraft, such as the A380, will represent a market value of US$19.8 billion.

According to the latest Airbus Global Market Forecast (GMF), the number of Chile’s passenger aircraft is expected to more than double over the next 20 years thanks in part to the country’s domestic traffic growing by 83 percent.

International traffic to and from Chile increased nearly 80...

The A380’s current headline-making demonstration tour across Latin America follows a record-breaking regional sales performance by Airbus in 2011, during which the company received new orders for 100 commercial jetliners.

28 March 2012 Feature story

This commercial activity included several milestones, including the first Latin American bookings for Airbus’ eco-efficient A320neo (LAN Airlines) and the mid-size A330-200F freighter (by Avianca); along with Volaris’ order for 44 A320 Family aircraft – representing the largest aviation purchase in Mexican history.

Rounding out the record regional order intake was TAM Airlines, which signed for 22 A320neo and 10 A320 Family aircraft.

Airbus also delivered 45 jetliners to the region in 2011, making up eight per cent of the company’s total deliveries worldwide. In 2012, Airbus expects to...

Airbus’ 21st century flagship A380 is generating a significant “buzz” in Latin America as this widebody jetliner continues its multi-city demonstration tour through the dynamic market.

During the tour’s first two stops – Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil – the aircraft was greeted by enthusias...

27 March 2012 Feature story

Airbus’ 21st century flagship A380 is generating a significant “buzz” in Latin America as this widebody jetliner continues its multi-city demonstration tour through the dynamic market.

During the tour’s first two stops – Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil – the aircraft was greeted by enthusiastic fans, anxious to see the double-deck aircraft first-hand. This excitement was reflected online, as the A380 quickly became a trending web topic across the nation.

After the tour’s opening, Brazil became the country with the second highest level of social media discussion on Airbus worldwide –...

Airbus today kicked off its participation during the Latin American market’s largest air show, FIDAE (Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio) in Santiago de Chile – highlighted by an opening day flight presentation of the company’s 21st century flagship A380.

The double-deck jetliner is b...

27 March 2012 Feature story

The double-deck jetliner is being joined at FIDAE by Airbus Military’s next-generation A400M airlifter – both of which already have proven to be popular attractions on the event’s static display area – with high-profile visits today by government officials that included Chilean defence minister Don Andres Allamand and Chile’s...

Latin America’s dynamic economy is expected to create a tripling of the region’s air traffic during the next 20 years, driving the demand through 2030 for over 2,000 new aircraft with seating capacities of more than 100 passengers – according to the Airbus Global Market Forecast.

26 March 2012 Feature story

This is anticipated to create the requirement for 41 very large aircraft in the category of Airbus’ A380 (which is performing a Latin American demonstration tour this month), along with 1,653 single-aisle jetliners (for which Airbus offers its A320 Family), and 334 twin-aisle aircraft (a category covered by the A330 and A350 in Airbus’ product line).

At a time when the global economy is seeking stabilization, Latin America’s gross domestic product (GDP) is growing faster than the world at an average annual rate of 5 per cent, while the region’s middle-class is expected to surge 75 per cent...

As a highly experienced pilot, Peter Chandler has flown to dozens of airports, but on 23 March he flew to Rio for the very first time – and as the pilot of the Airbus A380.

Peter is an Airbus test pilot and arriving in the cockpit of an A380 makes that first visit all the more special. S...

23 March 2012

As a highly experienced pilot, Peter Chandler has flown to dozens of airports, but on 23 March he flew to Rio for the very first time – and as the pilot of the Airbus A380.

Peter is an Airbus test pilot and arriving in the cockpit of an A380 makes that first visit all the more special. Speaking about the Rio landing, Peter said: “There are lots of people when the A380 lands. You can always tell which gate we’re going to because there are crowds of people there.”

With the strong focus in Brazil on the A380 Tour visit, Peter reached celebrity status there, particularly owing...

Brazil, which is welcoming the A380 demonstrator aircraft on the first stops of its Latin American tour this month, is a key country market for Airbus jetliners.

24 March 2012 Feature story

Brazilian flag carrier TAM Airlines operates nearly 150 Airbus aircraft, representing the region’s largest fleet – comprised of single-aisle A319s, A320s and A321s, along with widebody A330s and A340s.

Based on TAM’s operational experience with Airbus products and the level of customer support, the carrier has repeatedly expanded the fleet, making Airbus its leading aircraft supplier.

In October, 2011 TAM finalized a purchase agreement for another 32 Airbus aircraft – composed of 22 eco-efficient A320neo and 10 A320 Family aircraft – bringing its Airbus aircraft orders to 208,...

This month’s A380 multi-city tour of Latin America comes nearly 40 years after the milestone visit by another revolutionary Airbus jetliner– the no. 1 A300, which made stopovers in Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico during September-October 1973.

22 March 2012 Feature story

Much has changed in the decades between these two visits. When the A300 was demonstrated for the first time in Latin America, Airbus had received initial orders for the aircraft from European airlines, and was looking to build an international customer base for the company’s first-ever jetliner. Today, Airbus has more than 11,500 orders for its complete family of single-aisle and widebody commercial aircraft from clients around the world – including numerous airlines in the Latin American region.

For the A380’s current tour, the 21st century Airbus flagship arrived on 21 March in...

In this video clip, Rafael Alonso, the Airbus Executive Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, describes the A380’s visit to Sao Paulo, Brazil on its first stopover of the March 2012 Latin American tour.

A400M makes debut at the region’s biggest air show in Santiago de Chile

8 March 2012 Press Release

For the first time Airbus will showcase its biggest stars together at the FIDAE Air Show (Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio) in Santiago, Chile. Both the iconic A380 and the new generation airlifter A400M will be in static display and conduct flight demonstrations at Latin America’s most important air show.

The A380’s participation at FIDAE is part of the aircraft’s Latin American Tour, which will include stops in Brazil (Sao Paulo on March 22 and Rio de Janeiro on March 23) and Argentina, (Buenos Aires on March 30) before returning to Toulouse. The aircraft will stay in Santiago de...

The A380’s arrival in Latin America this week for a multi-country demonstration tour comes as the 21st century Airbus flagship jetliner confirms its operational success with a growing in-service fleet worldwide.

20 March 2012 Feature story

Having surpassed the 70-aircraft delivery milestone, A380s are now performing an average of 100 flights per day with seven airlines, carrying a combined total of more than one million passengers each month.

The 56 regularly-scheduled routes currently flown by A380s link 29 destinations that include the world’s top airports: Beijing, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, New York-John F. Kennedy, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Singapore and Sydney.

Additionally, the aircraft’s ability to successfully serve other than the largest hub cities is demonstrated by such...