A use for Beja airport at last, with the defunct former military air base scheduled to receive the largest passenger aircraft in the world.
Portugal's Hi Fly has acquired two Airbus monsters, model A380, and plans to land one at the Alentejo airport at 17:00hrs on Monday 23rd July.
The A380 has a list price of §450 million, can carry up to 853 people, has a maximum takeoff weight of 575 tons with the lowest carbon foot print per passenger per kilometre of any currently available commercial aircraft, according to Airbus. Orders also have been placed by Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Air France, Qantas and British Airways
The §2.5 billion Hi Fly fleet of aircraft is supported by over 800 air crew and pilots.
Hi Fly, a Portuguese success story, is dedicated to lending aircraft to fill in scheduled airlines’ gaps. The company operates worldwide and covers short and medium-term service gaps and seasonal needs.
This so called ‘wet lease’ service stands for the provision of a fully-maintained aircraft, crew and third party insurance. Hi Fly operates from Portugal and Malta and provides only Airbus models with capacity from 150 to 500 seats.
The landing of an A380 at Beja airport should attract much press coverage and highlight the facility’s lack of use by commercial airlines.
