GLARE contributes of material to each A380 plane. This material constitutes three percent by weight of the A380 structure, which has an operating empty weight (OEW) of . Because of the ten-percent lower density of GLARE compared to a typical standalone aluminum alloy, GLARE's usage on the A380 results in an estimated direct (volume-based) savings of , which doesn't include the follow-on weight savings in the entire aircraft structure that result from the lower material weight. For example, a 1996 internal Airbus study calculated that the weight savings from GLARE in the upper fuselage would be from just the lighter material, but it would total due to the "snowball effects" of smaller engines, smaller landing gear, and other positive changes. (However, this is much smaller than an Airbus vice president's early claim that GLARE would result in of savings, presumably if it were used throughout most of the aircraft.)