Introducing ANA's Airbus A380 "FLYING HONU" that was finally unveiled with photos.An aircraft that is a "big challenge" for Airbus

As previously reported (related article "The birth of the" flying sea turtle ". Airbus finishes painting the first ANA A380" FLYING HONU "and rolls out in Hamburg, Germany"), Airbus on December 13 (local time) , The company's factory in Hamburg, Germany, rolled out the first Airbus A380 to be delivered to ANA (All Nippon Airways). In this article, we will tell you about the rollout ceremony, focusing on the photographs of the aircraft that were shown.

As for the Airbus A380, which ANA plans to launch on the Narita-Hawaii / Honolulu route from May 24, 2019, all three aircraft scheduled to be delivered will be special painting machines with different coloring. It is named "FLYING HONU" which means "flying sea turtle", and the first aircraft unveiled this time will be an ANA blue aircraft with the image of the Hawaiian sea.

At the rollout ceremony, a video summarizing the painting work on FLYING HONU was screened.

At the rollout ceremony, Mr. Airbus Executive Vice President, Head of Programs, Mr. Didier Evrard, and Mr. Hiroshi Ito, Director and Managing Executive Officer of ANA, in charge of CS & Product Service Office, Procurement Department, Freight Business Office, will give a greeting. ..

Mr. Ebral said that ANA's Airbus A380 is a special aircraft among the aircraft, "It blends in with the color of the blue sky and is perfect for the sea. The A380 that blends in with the color of the sea flies in the sky." In addition to commenting on the beauty of the design, he laughed, "I think it will be listed in the Guinness Book of the largest animal-painted airplane ever. I don't know if I will apply."

He also touched on ANA's family-focused Hawaii route service, including the first class on the Honolulu line, and said, "The unique cabin and aircraft design also represents a new spirit." ..

He commented that ANA's Airbus A380 was "a design that required creativity for us, and this time it was a big challenge." As mentioned in the related article "The birth of the" flying sea turtle ". Airbus finishes painting the first ANA A380" FLYING HONU "and rolls out in Hamburg, Germany." At most 150 sheets of stencils (patterns) are used, while 930 sheets of stencils are used.

The person in charge explained, "The work involved a very detailed process of cutting and pasting fine stencils." Apply the primer and sealer coat and then paint the main color. From there, the stencil is applied and painted, but here the stencil and paint work is repeated. The paint used is 16 colors, 600 kg.

It took 21 days to complete the work, and he explained that "the preparation stage was very difficult". It is said that the time required for the painting work itself is about 10% of the total process.

Airbus Executive Vice President, Head of Programmes Didier Evrard

ANA's Mr. Ito expressed his gratitude to the people involved in Airbus for the introduction of the first Airbus A380 in Japan, and said, "For the past two years since the press release to purchase the Airbus A380, both companies. Has worked closely with us. Like ANA, Airbus is seeking high customer satisfaction, and sharing a professional outlook has made the partnership a success. We will continue to create a path for successful collaboration. We were able to do that, "he said of the good relationship between the two companies.

Regarding the introduction of the A380, "It will embody top-level flight features and a new level of luxury. I think it will impress passengers. It embodies the hospitality unique to aircraft. "It's gone," he said, and introduced an overview of the Hawaii flight service.

At the same time, many European residents, including the press, were present at this rollout ceremony, so with the appeal of ANA in Europe, "In the future, we will be customers from Europe. I also hope that you will travel to Hawaii via Japan, and that passengers around the world will enjoy such a trip. "

ANA explained in a press briefing held prior to the rollout ceremony, "We are thinking of having people come to Japan from Europe and go to Hawaii via Japan." Normally, it is common for Europe to cross the Atlantic Ocean and go to Hawaii via the Americas, but he says, "I would like you to go through Japan and enjoy both Japan and Hawaii." He also touched on the enhancement of ANA's domestic routes in Japan, and appealed to tourist destinations such as Okinawa, where skiing and hot springs can be enjoyed, "you can easily visit by utilizing domestic routes."

Mr. Hiroshi Ito, Director and Managing Executive Officer, CS & Product Service Office, Procurement Department, Cargo Business Office, All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.

For the rollout, both men pressed the switch on the stage to start opening the hangar door. At the same time, people with the Airbus and ANA flags started marching and lined up in front of the hangar. As the ANA Blue smoke came out, the "ANA" drawn on the vertical stabilizer of the A380 in the hangar began to appear.

After that, the percussion team that appeared in front of the hangar started playing. As they move forward, the aircraft also begins to push bash and gradually appears. By the time the pushback is complete, the flag team, ANA CA (flight attendant) with a banner, and Airbus staff will join in the lineup. Behind it, the Airbus A380, which became a flying sea turtle, parked and finished the ceremony.

Actually, it was a cloudy sky from the morning on that day, but by the time the rollout ceremony was held, the blue sky was spreading. Ebral joked, "I was blessed with a wonderful sky. This is a sky specially prepared for rollouts." However, after the ceremony was over, the clouds spread again, and it became a reality that it was a special sky only for the rollout time.

As the door of the hanger begins to open, a team with the Airbus and ANA flags appears. The percussion team boarded in front of the hanger where the vertical stabilizer with "ANA" appeared behind the smoke of ANA Blue. FLYING HONU also started pushback as he moved forward while playing. FLYING HONUFLYING HONU, which is gradually shown from the hanger and pushed back, moves forward and heads for a fixed position, and at the same time, ANA's CA and Airbus staff appear with a banner.To commemorative photo