Maltese pilot Captain Clifford Chetcuti was one of the flight deck crew flying Emirates' first A380 on its first commercial flight to JFK Airport in New York. The first of 58 Emirates A380s made its maiden commercial voyage on August 1, marking a major milestone for the airline and becoming the first-ever commercial service of the A380 into the Americas. Capt. Chetcuti has been flying for the past 22 years. He is Emirates' chief flying instructor and was responsible for the training of 36 pilots who are now qualified to fly A380. Together with Capt. Chetcuti in the cockpit of A380, there were Emirates chief pilot Abbas Shaban and Capt. Patrick De Roeck. The Times Business interviewed Capt. Chetcuti to share his first A380 experience and what makes journeys on A380 more comfortable and enjoyable for passengers travelling in all classes.
What does it mean to you personally and professionally being chosen as one of the pilots for the first commercial flight by the A380 in Emirates' colours?
It has been a tremendous honour to have a central role in the launch of the Emirates A380. As Emirates' chief flying instructor with the A380, this is an issue very close to my heart. We have worked very hard to prepare for the launch of this revolutionary aircraft and to be in the cockpit for the first A380 commercial flight into the Americas was a moment I will remember for a long time.
Can you give us some background about yourself and about the Maltese pilots serving with Emirates?
I joined Emirates as a first officer in 1994 after coming from Air Malta. I soon realised, as did my Maltese colleagues, that this was a great choice. Emirates has given me fantastic opportunities to further my career and has been very supportive of my development. I was made Airbus chief flying instructor four years ago and earlier this year I began focusing solely on the A380, becoming chief flying instructor - A380. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was not going to let it pass me by!
Does it really make any difference sitting in the cockpit of an A340 and an A380? I mean, aren't they both aircraft, carrying passengers from point A to point B?
The Emirates' A380 certainly has a special feel about it and we know it is generating a great deal of attention around the world. It is obviously a much bigger aircraft to fly with many more passengers. However, despite its colossal size, the cutting edge technology makes it surprisingly straightforward to fly. This is a superbly designed aircraft.
The A380 is being promoted as an "unrivalled travel experience ‒ further, faster, and ‒ quite simply, better, than ever before". Does that make a pilot's life easier or more difficult?
Well, the travel experience relates more to the passengers onboard rather than the pilots but we can tell you the feedback so far has been incredible. You probably saw the coverage from our A380 launch activities in Germany - where we received the aircraft - and in the US where we had a series of demonstration flights. Those who have come aboard realise that this really is a new chapter in air passenger travel. The onboard spa showers in first class and the lounge for all premium class travellers, have gone down particularly well.
I know you won't like this one but I will ask it just the same. Given the advanced technology available on the A380 - and indeed on most airliners nowadays - has the pilot become an option?
Technology may be constantly advancing but you can never take away the importance of having highly skilled cockpit crew onboard. At Emirates, the safety of our passengers is of paramount importance.
We know you have been very closely involved in the training of Emirates' pilots on the A380. If you had to mention two things that, on the one hand, overjoyed and on the other, annoyed the pilots as they came to grips with flying the giant plane what would they have been?
As far as the pilots are concerned, this has been a very positive experience all round. I mean, how many people can say they have had a chance to fly the A380? Not many. And this, after all, is the talk of the airline industry. Yes, there is hard work involved to learn new skills but this is such an exciting project that everyone has been committed to making it work.
Will the pilot feel "lost in the crowd" aboard the A380?
Well, as you will know the pilot accommodation onboard is separate to the passengers ‒ but one of the things passengers have been pointing out is that despite the sense of space, the plane is arranged in such a way that you never feel overwhelmed. We have described the Emirates' A380 as a "premium hotel in the sky" and we'd like to think when people "check in" they feel very much at home.
What does this plane have that others don't, apart from sheer size, of course?
Well most people only see what's in the cabin area, but as far as the cockpit goes you have to remember that all of our fleet is already very modern aircraft ‒ the average age being just 67 months. But there are a couple of enhancements here and there to make our job a bit easier. Overall though, this is a magnificent aircraft to fly, and so quiet...
What are the facilities a passenger expects to find onboard the Emirates A380?
It's hard to know where to start and I'm not really the best person to ask, but I have already mentioned the onboard shower spa and the lounge for premium class passengers. Generally speaking though, there is a real feeling of space onboard. It feels more roomy because of the design of economy and along with the excellent food and cabin crew service that you expect from Emirates, passengers can lose themselves in the entertainment system, which makes journeys go very quickly!
The manufacturers claim that existing infrastructure at airports is adequate to handle the A380. But can they really say that when we all know that congestion on the ground, long queues at check-in desks and passport clearance and lost luggage are increasingly becoming the norm?
Again, not really my area, but part of the preparatory work for the introduction of the A380 has been to examine airports around the world and their compatibility. Primarily, we need to know that a facility is equipped from a safety point of view to handle the A380. But we also need to be sure that an airport is geared up from a passenger services perspective. I'm sure my colleagues who specialise in this sort of thing can tell you more if need be.
All in all though, this is another milestone for Emirates and one we are all very proud of.
• The delivery of the new A380, which arrived in Dubai on July 29, takes Emirates' fleet to 118, including 108 passenger aircraft and 10 freighters.
By the end of Emirates' financial year, the airline will receive five superjumbos with expectations that the remainder of the order will be fulfilled by June 2013.
The first five 489-seat long-range aircraft will serve some of Emirates' busiest routes including London Heathrow from December 1, Sydney and Auckland from February 1, 2009.
From December 1, Emirates will be flying its B777-300 on a daily basis on the Dubai-Malta route with a short stopover at Larnaca airport in Cyprus. At present, there are 124 Maltese citizens employed by Emirates, mostly based in Dubai and in Malta.
What does it mean to you personally and professionally being chosen as one of the pilots for the first commercial flight by the A380 in Emirates' colours?
It has been a tremendous honour to have a central role in the launch of the Emirates A380. As Emirates' chief flying instructor with the A380, this is an issue very close to my heart. We have worked very hard to prepare for the launch of this revolutionary aircraft and to be in the cockpit for the first A380 commercial flight into the Americas was a moment I will remember for a long time.
Can you give us some background about yourself and about the Maltese pilots serving with Emirates?
I joined Emirates as a first officer in 1994 after coming from Air Malta. I soon realised, as did my Maltese colleagues, that this was a great choice. Emirates has given me fantastic opportunities to further my career and has been very supportive of my development. I was made Airbus chief flying instructor four years ago and earlier this year I began focusing solely on the A380, becoming chief flying instructor - A380. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was not going to let it pass me by!
Does it really make any difference sitting in the cockpit of an A340 and an A380? I mean, aren't they both aircraft, carrying passengers from point A to point B?
The Emirates' A380 certainly has a special feel about it and we know it is generating a great deal of attention around the world. It is obviously a much bigger aircraft to fly with many more passengers. However, despite its colossal size, the cutting edge technology makes it surprisingly straightforward to fly. This is a superbly designed aircraft.
The A380 is being promoted as an "unrivalled travel experience ‒ further, faster, and ‒ quite simply, better, than ever before". Does that make a pilot's life easier or more difficult?
Well, the travel experience relates more to the passengers onboard rather than the pilots but we can tell you the feedback so far has been incredible. You probably saw the coverage from our A380 launch activities in Germany - where we received the aircraft - and in the US where we had a series of demonstration flights. Those who have come aboard realise that this really is a new chapter in air passenger travel. The onboard spa showers in first class and the lounge for all premium class travellers, have gone down particularly well.
I know you won't like this one but I will ask it just the same. Given the advanced technology available on the A380 - and indeed on most airliners nowadays - has the pilot become an option?
Technology may be constantly advancing but you can never take away the importance of having highly skilled cockpit crew onboard. At Emirates, the safety of our passengers is of paramount importance.
We know you have been very closely involved in the training of Emirates' pilots on the A380. If you had to mention two things that, on the one hand, overjoyed and on the other, annoyed the pilots as they came to grips with flying the giant plane what would they have been?
As far as the pilots are concerned, this has been a very positive experience all round. I mean, how many people can say they have had a chance to fly the A380? Not many. And this, after all, is the talk of the airline industry. Yes, there is hard work involved to learn new skills but this is such an exciting project that everyone has been committed to making it work.
Will the pilot feel "lost in the crowd" aboard the A380?
Well, as you will know the pilot accommodation onboard is separate to the passengers ‒ but one of the things passengers have been pointing out is that despite the sense of space, the plane is arranged in such a way that you never feel overwhelmed. We have described the Emirates' A380 as a "premium hotel in the sky" and we'd like to think when people "check in" they feel very much at home.
What does this plane have that others don't, apart from sheer size, of course?
Well most people only see what's in the cabin area, but as far as the cockpit goes you have to remember that all of our fleet is already very modern aircraft ‒ the average age being just 67 months. But there are a couple of enhancements here and there to make our job a bit easier. Overall though, this is a magnificent aircraft to fly, and so quiet...
What are the facilities a passenger expects to find onboard the Emirates A380?
It's hard to know where to start and I'm not really the best person to ask, but I have already mentioned the onboard shower spa and the lounge for premium class passengers. Generally speaking though, there is a real feeling of space onboard. It feels more roomy because of the design of economy and along with the excellent food and cabin crew service that you expect from Emirates, passengers can lose themselves in the entertainment system, which makes journeys go very quickly!
The manufacturers claim that existing infrastructure at airports is adequate to handle the A380. But can they really say that when we all know that congestion on the ground, long queues at check-in desks and passport clearance and lost luggage are increasingly becoming the norm?
Again, not really my area, but part of the preparatory work for the introduction of the A380 has been to examine airports around the world and their compatibility. Primarily, we need to know that a facility is equipped from a safety point of view to handle the A380. But we also need to be sure that an airport is geared up from a passenger services perspective. I'm sure my colleagues who specialise in this sort of thing can tell you more if need be.
All in all though, this is another milestone for Emirates and one we are all very proud of.
• The delivery of the new A380, which arrived in Dubai on July 29, takes Emirates' fleet to 118, including 108 passenger aircraft and 10 freighters.
By the end of Emirates' financial year, the airline will receive five superjumbos with expectations that the remainder of the order will be fulfilled by June 2013.
The first five 489-seat long-range aircraft will serve some of Emirates' busiest routes including London Heathrow from December 1, Sydney and Auckland from February 1, 2009.
From December 1, Emirates will be flying its B777-300 on a daily basis on the Dubai-Malta route with a short stopover at Larnaca airport in Cyprus. At present, there are 124 Maltese citizens employed by Emirates, mostly based in Dubai and in Malta.