Traveling to Toulouse to welcome Thai Airways' newest A380 aircraft

A shiny new Thai Airways Airbus A380-800

A shiny new Thai Airways Airbus A380-800

I recently had the chance to accompany to the Southern French city of Toulouse a delegation that had traveled all the way from Thailand to visit Airbus' facilities.

After visiting Airbus' corporate facilities, its cabin interior design center, an A380 mock-up, walking through the A380 final assembly line and getting on-board of a weird-looking Beluga cargo aircraft, we headed to Airbus' Aircraft Delivery Center for the final stop on our intense itinerary: a private visit to Thai Airways' fifth Airbus A380-800, which was being readied before of its handover to its new owner.

Regular readers of this blog might remember this was not my first visit to Airbus' Aircraft Delivery Center, but I can not emphasize enough what an amazing experience it is for an aviation enthusiast to be there.

What follows is a photographic summary of the visit to Thai Airways' newest A380: 

Colleagues covering the Airbus visit for Thai media. Wearing the hat is Thai TV host and writer Patcharasri Benjamasi (aka @Kalamare)

Colleagues covering the Airbus visit for Thai media. Wearing the hat is Thai TV host and writer Patcharasri Benjamasi (aka @Kalamare)

This visit was, once more, a great opportunity to get close to one of the most amazing aircraft ever made...
A close-up of the A380 landing gear

A close-up of the A380 landing gear

Thai Airways' logo from an unusual angle

Thai Airways' logo from an unusual angle

You can get an idea of the scale of the A380 in this picture

You can get an idea of the scale of the A380 in this picture

Night club decoration? No! those are the new generation overhead bins on-board! 

Night club decoration? No! those are the new generation overhead bins on-board! 

First class area

First class area

Choose your seat! (at the business class area)

Choose your seat! (at the business class area)

Economy class

Economy class

Besides getting to see Thao's A380, the delivery center offers also great views of Toulouse-Blagnac airport runways. We could spot several interesting aircraft while there, including the Beluga. 

Besides getting to see Thao's A380, the delivery center offers also great views of Toulouse-Blagnac airport runways. We could spot several interesting aircraft while there, including the Beluga. 

I could not avoid Instagraming this one! 

I could not avoid Instagraming this one! 

Group photo with Thai media, Airbus and Thai Airways representatives! 

Group photo with Thai media, Airbus and Thai Airways representatives!