Super-jumbo comes to Africa

Super-jumbo comes to Africa
Feb 18, 2010 11:40 PM | By CHARL DU PLESSIS
Passengers who arrived in Johannesburg on Air France flight AF990 made history. It was the first time the massive A380 "super-jumbo" has brought passengers to Africa.
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A REAL BIG DEAL: Air France's A380 super-jumbo arrives at OR Tambo International yesterday. The airport widened runways for the massive aircraft, which can carry more than 500 passengers Picture: VIRGINIE VALDOIS/AIR FRANCE
A REAL BIG DEAL: Air France's A380 super-jumbo arrives at OR Tambo International yesterday. The airport widened runways for the massive aircraft, which can carry more than 500 passengers Picture: VIRGINIE VALDOIS/AIR FRANCE

The A380, which can carry 538 passengers and 22 crew, is the largest passenger aircraft yet made. You could park five buses end-to-end on its 80m wingspan, and it is more than double the length of the Wright brothers' first flight of about 36m.

Excited members of the public packed the viewing galleries at OR Tambo International to see the airliner. Kieran Bell, 16, who wants to be a pilot, told The Times he'd "watched everything on TV about it and now it's finally coming here and I get to see it". He would not say whether he had skipped school for the occasion.

Airport manager Chris Hlekane said the runways and taxiways had to be widened to accommodate the aircraft.