The process of how gigantic Airbus A380s were made will mesmerize you
- The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner
- It consists of four million parts from over 30 countries
- A video showed the entire production process that used to take place
Published on Aug 18, 2024 at 2:27 PM (UTC+4)
by Siddharth Dudeja
Last updated on Aug 18, 2024 at 2:27 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Daksh Chaudhary
The Airbus A380 is one of the most iconic pieces of machinery to exist in aviation history, and all for good reason.
Regardless of its size, it remains an aircraft that was produced in a factory.
But what did Airbus do to put so many parts together and create one of the world’s most popular airliners?
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Building the largest passenger aircraft
The A380 is the world’s largest commercial airplane to date, and its size made waves in the aviation industry.
For context, when the first Airbus A380 rolled out in 2007, airports had to renovate to accommodate such a large aircraft.
It certainly makes you wonder how producing an aircraft like this is even possible.
Fret not because a YouTube channel called REC Anything posted a video showing the entire production process.
The video revealed humongous parts in a factory, which were assembled one by one.
A typical A380 consists of about four million parts, which the company sources from manufacturers in 30 countries.
Now imagine the logistics operations involved in putting a single A380 together.
How an Airbus A380 comes together
Some parts are much larger than a few cars combined, and that’s because of the aircraft’s immense size.
You see, the Airbus A380 has a wingspan of 261.8 feet and a length of 239.5 feet.
It simply dwarfs other airplanes when standing next to them.
All parts that Airbus sources travel to its Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France.
That’s where the magic happens, and around 48,000 employees in that factory work toward putting everything together.
The factory spans over 1.6 million square feet, which is also something to think about.
However, the A380 isn’t the only airplane manufactured there — the company also uses the site to produce the Airbus A330, A320, and some other models.
Cranes inside the production line do the heavy lifting while engineers ensure everything is functional.
Each part goes through a thorough inspection before the final assembly and receives a coat of paint.
After hours of lifting and installation, the FAL sends out a fully built A380 for operational tests.
It’s like putting Lego blocks together but for giants.