Aircraft Interiors International snuck onboard the Lawrence Hargrave, a Qantas A380, to find out what cleaning crews have to deal with after a super long-haul flight – and to explore every inch of the cabins
The Lawrence Hargrave is Qantas’ fifth A380, named after the inventor of the box kite. Adam Gavine stepped onboard the aircraft just after it landed at Heathrow, fresh – or not so fresh – from a 13-hour flight from Singapore
Where the magic happens. The cockpit area also features a small bed and lav, so flight crew do not have to leave their secure area
The backs of the 371 economy seats on the main deck have an exposed carbon-fiber weave
Spotless! Either the passengers on this flight were unusually neat and tidy or the cleaning crew got here first. We suspect the latter, especially since the cleaning contractor faces heavy fines if the entire aircraft interior is not finished and ready for new passengers within 40 minutes
We found this stairway leading below the main deck. The cleaners have clearly been busy down there – let’s take a look at what they’ve been doing…
Few passengers on the main deck will be aware that there is a 12-berth crew rest below
These bunks help the Qantas crews to rest so they can be attentive to passenger service and safety
This galley was left in a fairly clean and tidy state, but the cleaning crew will ensure it is spotless for the next flight
…did someone order Chinese food?
A staircase is such an everyday thing, but it becomes a truly special feature when in an aircraft
The all-important brand panels were given a polish. That’s a shiny roo!
Climb the stairs and turn right, and you’ll find a cabin crew workstation, where they can control everything from lighting to the inflight entertainment systems
A closer look at the cabin lighting interface
Turn left at the top of the stairs and there is a small lounge area. Something even better lies beyond the locked panel though, as you can see in the next gallery…
The 64-seat Marc Newson-designed business class being prepared for its next raft of guests. Cleaning crews swiftly pile up items to be discarded or laundered
The seatbacks in business class give a nice cocooning effect
Business class passengers enjoy generous side stowage compartments
An upper deck galley and crew seating area awaiting attention
A rack of B/E Aerospace galley inserts cooling down after the long flight
Another clean lavatory. The cleaning crew also restocks the paper towels and other consumables
Organised chaos in the 35-seat premium economy cabin as the cleaners sort through the detritus of many hours of flying
Minutes later the cabin looked smarter – in another few minutes it would look pristine
Another staircase! Perhaps a little more decoration on the rear stair area would be nice
Heading back to the front of the upper deck, we stumbled across a team from Panasonic Avionics inspecting an IFE installation. With a base wishing the Heathrow complex, they can respond quickly to any issues
Let’s head down the softly lit stairs for a real treat: first class!
The most coveted seats on a Qantas A380, especially since these aircraft travel such long routes
First class passengers can control their view and their light levels with these attractive electrically-controlled blinds
The 14 first class seats have a nice graphic user interface for the seat controls
The timber IFE display casing receives a quick polish
The IFE displays in first class fold away for taxi, takeoff and landing
A concealed IFE handset
A cocktail, you say? Why not, just leave it on the table please
Slide open one drawer and there’s a snack…
…which you can eat while listening to music or watching a movie
We had to take a moment to admire this beautifully engineered door mechanism
Ever since his first flight on a TriStar, Adam has loved air travel, and since becoming editor of the Aircraft Interiors International brand he has really enjoyed the opportunity to be involved with the latest aircraft and airline products before they are even launched. Adam co-ordinates the running of the magazine, from commissioning articles and artwork, to ensuring that high standards of quality are maintained, as well as managing online content. Adam is proud to sit on the jury of the Crystal Cabin Awards and to have laid on the bed in Etihad's Residence.
By Adam Gavine
