Airbus A380: World’s Largest and Most Advanced Airliner

Airbus A380: World’s Largest and Most Advanced Airliner

The largest airliner in the world, the A380 is a double-deck, widebody airliner from the house of Airbus. Its success is attributed to cutting edge technology and innovation which is evident from the fact that more than 380 applications filed for various technology patents that went into making the world’s most advanced aircraft.

The engineers of Airbus had been working secretly on developing an ultra-high-capacity airliner since 1988 but the project for A380 was formally announced in 1990. The primary focus of the company was a 15% reduction in operating costs. Dubbed by the media as the Gentle Giant, the A380 is now not only in regular service but has become extremely popular with airlines as well as passengers.

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Types of Aircraft

[audio:https://aviationenglishblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/02typesofaircrafts.mp3|titles=Types of Aircrafts]TOPIC: Types of Aircraft

GOAL: To learn about the various types of aircraft

Level: Easy

Exercise #1: Read about types of aircraft and then proceed to Exercise #2

Going to an airshow can be a great experience. This is true, not only for the aerial demonstrations, but also the opportunity to see a wide variety of aircraft on static display. At these events, one quickly realizes there are many kinds of designs created with a particular mission in mind.

An aircraft is a vessel designed to move through the air. An airplane is a popular example of this type of vessel but there are many others. Helicopters, airships, and hot air balloons are also examples of different types of aircraft. An airplane may be one of the most recognizable types of aircraft. These vessels have fixed wings and propellers. Their body styles can greatly vary as there are many types and sizes of airplanes used for numerous reasons. These include seaplanes and jets.

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Low Cost vs. Conventional Airlines

[audio:https://aviationenglishblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/20lowcost.mp3|titles=Low cost v Conventional Airlines]Low Cost vs. Conventional Airlines

Level: Easy

Read the text about conventional and low-cost carriers and match the words in the left column with the words in the right column:

1. 1. Low-cost carriers seem to be seriously involved in the new trend in the US airline industry’s domestic market. Both, smaller no-frills carriers (e.g. Allegiant, Frontier and Virgin America) and bigger budget airlines (e.g. JetBlue and Southwest), have grown rapidly over the last decade and are now known to be controlling 30% of the domestic travel market as compared to legacy carriers. As more Americans are changing their habits and choosing discount airlines for domestic flights, conventional airlines are cutting flights, shrinking hubs and even abandoning some destinations. The recent economic downturn has only contributed to this reshuffling, taking a toll on traditional airlines.
   2. While low fairs are obviously appealing, they are no longer a major selling point. What does seem to attract passengers is the major shift in how air travel is perceived. Value is given to non-complex operations and a more positive attitude.

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Grammar: There is/There are

Grammar point: There is / There are (easy)

Aim

• Practice English skills in an aviation context
• Practice dialogue with countable and uncountable, present tense
• Have fun!

FA1: Quick! This man is having trouble breathing.  There is a bag under his seat, please have a look and see if you can find any medication.

FA2: Okay… Wow, there is a lot of stuff in here!  There’s a squashed banana and there’s an MP3 player… there are some pens, and there are some stamps… there are a few jelly beans, and there are a couple of bandaids… but I can’t see any medicine.

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Present Perfect Tense

Aim

• Practice English skills in an aviation context
• Revise present perfect / present perfect continuous tense
• Have fun!

Grammar point: present continuous tense

Grammar point: present continuous tense

Aim

• Practice English skills in an aviation context
• Practice present continuous in dialogue form

Interesting Airline Brands

[audio:https://aviationenglishblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/18brands.mp3|titles= Interesting Airline Brands]Interesting Airline Brands

According to a survey conducted, Virgin Atlantic emerged as the best airline brand for 2009, with British Airways tailing closely. Some of the other names that came on top in various categories include brands like Emirates, Singapore Airlines, EasyJet, Qatar Airways, BMI and Swiss International. These brands have been assessed on different criteria like reliability, quality and distinction.

What adds to the overall rating of airline brands is the service that it offers its customers. This is something that can be achieved by good cabin and ground staff, choice of food, variety of entertainment on board, large number of destinations and high flight frequencies, among other services.

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Countries and culture

Countries and culture

Aim

• Practice English skills in an aviation context
• Discuss cross-cultural communication
• Have fun!

A flight attendant will become familiar with a great number of countries and cultures over the course of her/his career, but the significance of this is more than just the interest value of visiting diverse geographical locations, witnessing different customs or meeting new people; for a flight attendant working with the public from all walks of life and from all over the world, having an understanding of cross-cultural communication is an essential part of the job.

Successful communication is important for reasons of both safety and service standards but there are more factors to consider than just getting the language right. Cultural differences may sometimes means the message is not received the way it is intended. Reasons for this include:

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Health problems on board

Health problems on board

Aim

• Practice English skills in an aviation context
• Learn some healthy tips specific to cabin crew while learning the terminology of illnesses cabin crew may face
• Have fun!

After health professionals, cabin crew must rate as one of the professions most exposed to communicable illnesses while on the job and, unlike doctors and nurses, there’s not much in the way of protection on hand, and no escape route!  Add to that the long, intensive hours worked and jet lag, how can flight attendants possibly boost their immunity and minimise sick days?

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Airline vs. Executive Aviation

TOPIC: Airline vs. executive aviation

GOAL: To compare airline flying versus working in executive aviation

Exercise #1: Read about the differences between airline flying and executive aviation and then proceed to Exercise #2

The physical aspects of flying an airplane are fairly similar in most segments of the aviation industry. However, the overall economic scope and nature of this flying can be quite different, depending on the segment. A good case is the comparison between executive/business aviation and the airline market.  Both operate a range of turboprop and jet aircraft but their use and customer base is very different.

So, we know that the typical airline passenger is the casual traveler, and frequently, a businessman/woman flying to a major market. But who uses business aviation? The answer is: companies and individuals seeking a fast, hassle-free option of air travel. While companies that rely on business aviation represent many different professions and locations, they all have one thing in common: the need for fast, flexible, safe, secure and cost-effective access to destinations across their country and around the world. Business aircraft allow employees to make a trip involving stops at several locations, then return to headquarters the same day. Hundreds or thousands of dollars can be saved on hotel rooms, rental cars, meals and other expenses that would be needed to make the same trip over several days via auto, train or airline transport. Because employees can meet, plan and work with each other aboard business aircraft, productivity en route is greatly enhanced.

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