Virgin Atlantic steals a march with Airbus A340-600

Before the dust had settled and Farnborough 2002 opened, Virgin Atlantic had made its own splash and showed off its latest acquisition from Airbus, the A340-600, for which the airline is the launch customer.

Named Claudia Nine by supermodel Claudia Schiffer at the airline's newly built hanger at Heathrow airport, the aircraft then took off on the short hop to Farnborough, where it grabbed the attention of the still arriving crowds as it execute a low pass over the airfield before landing.

The A340-600 is the longest aircraft in the world at 247ft (73.3m), 16ft (4.8m) longer than any other commercial aircraft in the world. It is part of a $1.9 billion order for 10 aircraft, with wings built by Airbus UK and engines built by Rolls Royce.

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic said, "It is great news for British business .....around half the aircraft is British built. The aviation industry is crucial for the British economy and British jobs. It also signifies another step towards recovery from the events of last year."

The new aircraft has been granted the same pilot type rating as in-service A340-300s which reduces flight deck retraining. The aircraft has a range of 7,300nm (13,500km) and will be deployed on routs with growing passenger demand.

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