The world’s largest passenger airplane will begin making regular stops at O’Hare International Airport next year.
British Airways will begin using the double-decker Airbus A380 on one of two daily flights between Chicago and London starting May 8, the airline said Tuesday in a news release.
It’s the first regularly scheduled flight on the monster jet in Chicago.
British Airways and partner American Airlines already operate six daily flights between Chicago and London. Switching one of those flights to the larger jet will let the airlines carry nearly 20 percent more passengers across the Atlantic, British Airways said.
“The addition of the Airbus A380 for direct service from O’Hare to London is great news for travelers in Chicago and around the world,” Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans said in the news release. “Chicago is always looking for ways to offer our passengers new and improved options for international travel. Thanks to our partners at British Airways, we will bring more visitors directly to our city on one of the largest and most exciting aircraft in the world.”
The aircraft seats up to 469 passengers in four cabins, including 14 first-class suites, 97 lie-flat business-class seats and 55 premium economy seats, with the remaining 303 in coach, British Airways said.
London-bound passengers who want to fly the A380 will need to take the British Airways flight departing Chicago at 5:30 p.m. The A380 will fly the 10:50 a.m. flight from London to Chicago.
It isn’t the aircraft’s first stop in Chicago. Dubai-based airline Emirates flew the aircraft to O’Hare in July 2016 to test out airport improvements designed to accommodate the jet, which is 238 feet long and 79 feet high, with a 261-foot wingspan. A Lufthansa-operated A380 also touched down in 2007 while touring the U.S. and completing Federal Aviation Administration-required technical procedures before starting U.S. passenger service.
Chicago has had a runway big enough to handle the A380 since 2013 but lacked a gate that fit the two-level plane at that time. Although a Boeing 747 is longer, the A380 is wider and has two decks spanning the full length of the plane.
A second runway capable of serving the A380 is currently under construction at O’Hare and is expected to be completed in 2020. Another A380-ready gate is also among the nine new gates planned as part of the expansion of Terminal 5.
The A380 hasn’t been an easy sell for aircraft manufacturer Airbus, which announced plans to scale back production last month after making a similar reduction last year. Chicago-based Boeing also has cut production plans for its mega jet, the 747.
But the improvements at O’Hare aren’t about catering to any particular aircraft, the Aviation Department said. The new runways and gate will help O’Hare handle more international traffic and wide-body aircraft, the department said in the news release.
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