European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 27, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Super jumbos Are Ocean liners for the skies by George Tibbits a business writer imagine travel 15 years from now your plane has just landed in an asian City after an umpteen hour flight from new York. There you stand garment bag Slung Over shoulder overnight bag at your feet waiting to get through customs. You re 698th in line. Still it could be worse. You had a Sleeper berth on the flight the plane had a decent restaurant and you were Able to Shower before Landing. With air traffic expected to grow steadily Well into the new Century the world s three big commercial Jet makers a Boeing Mcdonnell Douglas and Airbus industries Are studying whether to build some of the biggest machines Ever to Fly. They envision Gigantic double deck and possibly triple deck aircraft that could hold up to 800 people a planes limited in size Only by airports ability to accommodate them. Late last month Mcdonnell Douglas corp. Unveiled its redesigned md-12 Jet. The four engine double Decker plane could carry More than 600 people in one seating configuration company spokesman John Thom said. For competitive reasons a and because Many decisions Haven t been made a Boeing and Airbus Aren t being specific about their plans but both Are studying super jumbo designs. Because of the need to fit in airports most designs discussed so far Are not much bigger in length and wingspan than Boeing 747-400s, the world s largest passenger planes. But in capacity the Quot super jumbos Quot would Dwarf 747400s, which can carry 412 passengers for More than 8,000 Miles. The 747 revolutionized flying making intercontinental travel far More affordable and forcing the worlds airports to rebuild to handle the jumbo jets. Super jumbos could bring another revolution lowering costs and requiring new and More efficient ways to move Large volumes of people Luggage and cargo said Rod muddle who leads a British airways team studying the planes. Quot what we re really looking Lor is another quantum leap with this Type of aircraft a muddle said in a Telephone interview from London. For one thing jets that Large will Likely have surplus space Quot which one can think of for other uses More creative uses than those today Quot muddle said. Among bags thoughts Are sleeping areas restaurants cocktail bars business centers observation lounges and exercise rooms if that sounds like an Ocean liner for the air that s not a bad analogy muddle said. His team is looking at the cruise ship Industry for ideas on handling Large groups of passengers while keeping service personalized. Any amenity be it a seat Back television or a place to take a Shower has to make economic sense and muddle acknowledges that Quot some of these Way out readers action line spouse preference can to be deferred it 1 recently Pul an application in Lor employment with cafes in Schweinfurt. I was told by Headquarters personnel that my spouse preference would automatically be used if i accepted employment with cafes i told them i prefer not to use it but i was told i had no Choice in the matter. Can you please explain Why we Are not allowed to choose whether or not we want Ourthe world s biggest sir plane the Ukraine s an-225 Miry could be converted to a super limbo. Ideas Are thrown in just for the Sake of  Quot what people really want is punctual reliable travel at Good prices a he said. At the same time British air Hopes it could shave 20 percent off operating costs. The planes would also need to be quiet less polluting and easier to service and maintain he said. The jets could usher in vastly new procedures for ticketing immigration Airport Security waiting rooms food service and other logistics a a it s one shot we get to really rethink things a said muddle who noted a is Quot probably in the forefront of urgency for this Type of aircraft Quot because the airline operates in some of the most congested markets and airports. Its Home base is London a Busy Heathrow Airport. Building bigger air planes in t a new idea. Boeing which dominates the High capacity Long Range Market with its 747, has studied them for years. The idea gained Speed last year when Ual chairman Stephen Wolf said he d like to introduce a 650-passenger Jet for United airlines in 1998, the same year a wants its super jumbo in the air. Last fail Boeing s archrival Airbus industries surveyed 10 of its customers and found there will be a Quot substantial need Quot for super jumbos after the turn of the Century. Airbus estimates the potential Market Between 2000 and 2009 at about 800 planes said spokeswoman Sandy Smith. Boeing is talking with its customers about what they need in a Large plane but spokesman Christopher Villiers would not give names. Quot it s Safe to say its our current customers who Fly our big air plane at the moment a 747 customers who Fly on High capacity routes Quot he said. Mcdonnell Douglas officials said they Hope to Start deliveries of their md-12 in 1997. The world s largest plane is the an-225, built by Ukraine a Antonov design Bureau to haul the soviet space shuttle. The six engine cargo Jet is 44 feet longer than a 747 but is slower and has one third the Range. Muddle said British airways has contacted Antonov about whether it could modify its planes or develop a new spouse preference used Bernadette Gillian bad Kos Slangen Germany it. Col. Joe Cato chief Public affairs he cafes Europe replies your question is understandable and we apologize for not properly answering you the first time you asked. In Short spouse preference is used when a spouse accepts employment by any department of defense Agency including cafes and is placed in a position expected to continue for at least one year. The spouse preference program is governed by Congress and Public Law from which we cannot Devarie John Wolf last month announced Mcdonnell Douglas plans for its md-12 super jumbo. One and expects to talk further this year. In Kiev Valery Paul Yukon Deputy chairman of the ukrainian committee on defense industries and machine building said Antonov would be willing to consider converting an-225s into passenger jets if Western companies show interest. But there Are no plans now to solicit such business. Boeing already spending billions to bring out its new 777 in 1994, is years away from deciding whether to build a super jumbo Villiers said. Airbus likewise has made no decision. But muddle said the manufacturers need to get moving Quot we need this in 1998,&Quot he said. Quot it really has to be launched in concept within the next year and 18 months. What we decide Between now and then will More or less set the course for the next 30  write us headers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort a a striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available if you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. All letters must be signed and preference Wilt be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Rage 16 a the stars and stripes wednesday May 27, 1992 l