Qantas was one of the first airlines to sign a deal to buy a fleet of the recently unveiled Airbus A380 aircraft that can carry up to 800 passengers on two decks.
At the launch of the A380 at Toulouse in France, industry representatives had their first glimpse inside the massive new plane.
Airbus has boasted that the A380 has more room than the rival Boeing 747, can carry 40% more passengers, has a range of 8000 nautical miles, and offers 40,000 cubic metres of cargo space.
It also has sufficient room for airlines to install on-board leisure facilities such as a swimming pool complete with innovative floating safety belts for passengers keen to exercise before reaching their destination. Other A380 options offered by Airbus include full-size tennis courts, a running track, a fully equipped gym, a 15-person sauna, an abseiling course, and mini velodrome.
When ordering one of the aircraft, airlines can also opt to have bars and eateries installed as well as nightclubs for long-haul roots.
However, Australia's national airline Qantas has cast doubt on the inclusion of such facilities on the A380s it plans to buy.
Speaking in Toulouse where he attended the Airbus launch, Qantas managing director Geoff Dixon attempted to dampen passenger expectations about his airline's A380s.
"Fuck gyms, bars, shops and tennis courts," Mr Dixon said.
"Do you think I'm going to devote that much space for zero revenue return when I could use it to cram in another 200 economy seats?
"Even if we lose 10% of the extra passengers to DVT we still make a packet on every flight.
"And after we shift our maintenance base to Bangladesh we'll be even further ahead," Mr Dixon said.
