Qantas passengers get VIP treatment in LA
Passengers aboard an Australian airline's new super jumbo have received a royalty treatment in Los Angeles on Tuesday (LA time).
The passengers, flying in on a Qantas A380 from Sydney did not walk the traditional red carpet but received a Hollywood-style red carpet welcome.
The Qantas plane was the first to land along the Los Angeles International Airport's (LAX) upgraded, 1 kilometer long environmentally-friendly concrete taxiway that helps alleviate safety and congestion concerns in one of America's busiest airports. Expenses incurred for the said upgrade was at $US88 million.
The welcome includes water cannon salute from LAX fire trucks instead of the traditional flashes from the paparazzi.
The Qantas A380 was selected to be the main performer of the airport's inauguration ceremony for the new taxiway, built from previous concrete that permits storm water to flow through the material to avoid flooding and surface pollutants.
The taxiway for airplanes is also built with two storm water treatment systems.
The introduction of super jumbo planes, with large wingspans twice the size of football fields, has pushed airports like LAX to upgrade their facilities with new gates and taxiways for the benefit of the passengers' safety and congestion issues caused by larger planes.