Airbus A380 Development

[Nurlea Laurielle 0]

I guess as a former crew you'd know that any new aircraft needs lots of testing before being put into service. These flights are test flights; SQ will be the first airline to fly the aircraft commercially.

 

Did you see the A380 in KUL in 2005?

 

Nope - didnt get the chance to go and see the mega-huge A380. Besides, if I had the chance pon, tah - dont feel like it. Am not a great fan of Airbus... hehehehehehehehehe

 

"I guess as a former crew you'd know that any new aircraft needs lots of testing before being put into service. These flights are test flights; SQ will be the first airline to fly the aircraft commercially."<- I tot they already did like gazillion test flights? and 2007 marks 1st commercial-flight with SQ taking in charge? No meh??? hmmmm

[Andrew Ong 1]

LAWA's recommends a place to get a closer look at the A380 arriving at LAX:

 

PUBLIC VIEWING SITE FOR HISTORIC ARRIVAL OF AIRBUS A380 AT LAX ANNOUNCED

 

(Los Angeles, California – March 16, 2007) In anticipation of several thousand people arriving at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to view the historic landing of the Airbus A380 – the world's largest airliner – airport officials today announced a recommended site adjacent to the airport where the landing may be viewed by the public.

 

The aircraft is scheduled to touchdown at 9:30 a.m. PDT on Monday, March 19, 2007, on the northside of the airport and taxi to the Flight Path Learning Center/LAX Imperial Terminal on the southside of the airport for a by-invitation-only arrival ceremony.

 

The recommended viewing site, Northside Parkway, is adjacent to the airport’s north airfield perimeter fence and can be accessed by walking westbound along Westchester Parkway for approximately 1.25 miles west of Sepulveda Blvd. The entire distance of Northside Parkway (from McConnell Avenue on the east to Loyola Blvd. on the west) will be closed beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 18, 2007. Spectators should arrive at Northside Parkway after 5 a.m. on Monday, March 19.

 

The public is advised to use public transportation to Westchester, a Los Angeles community north of the airport, or park in public parking lots such as LAX Economy Parking Lot C at 96th Street and Sepulveda Blvd. Several privately-operated public parking facilities are also located in Westchester along Sepulveda Blvd. and Century Blvd. No stopping or parking will be allowed on Lincoln Blvd., a major thoroughfare on the north side of the airport.

 

It is anticipated that there may be traffic congestion which may result in intermittent street closures around the area. Therefore, the public is encouraged to use public transportation and arrive early.

 

Overnight sleeping or camping around the airport's perimeter fence, including at Northside Parkway, is prohibited by Los Angeles City ordinance and will be strictly enforced. Prospective observers planning to stay in the airport area on Sunday night are encouraged to visit the airport's website at www.lawa.org for a list of airport-area hotels. In particular, hotels along Century Blvd. and Airport Blvd. – two airport access streets into LAX -- have rooms overlooking the airport's north airfield or aircraft landing path.

 

On Monday, viewers on the southside of the airport will be able to see the A380 on approach (but not actual "touchdown" on the runway) and the aircraft taxiing into the LAX Imperial Terminal ramp. There are no recommended viewing sites on airport property along Imperial Highway on the southside of the airport.

 

The Flight Path Learning Center and adjacent airport property will be closed to the public on Monday, March 19 and Tuesday, March 20, for private events related to the A380. It will reopen to the public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 21.

 

The aircraft is scheduled to depart LAX on the southside of the airport between 7:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20, and can only be viewed from the southside. Viewers may park at Dockweiler Beach, owned and operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, to see the aircraft taking off overhead.

 

Link:

http://www.lawa.org/lax/newsDisplay.cfm?newsID=903

[Pieter C. 5]

This is your chance, Andrew, to share your A380 shots with us here

[Pieter C. 5]

Airbus A380 Set For US Debut

 

March 15, 2007

Airbus will fly its A380 superjumbo to the United States for the first time on Monday, hoping the world's largest passenger jet will catch on with American travelers and US airlines.

 

The 555-seat, double-decker plane with a wingspan almost the length of an American football field has racked up 156 orders so far, but none from US airlines, which usually prefer Boeing planes.

 

Signing up a US airline would be a huge financial and morale boost for Airbus, which is suffering through financial losses and corporate turmoil due to delays on the plane, which is set to enter service with Singapore Airlines later this year.

 

Even though some industry executives expect the A380 to be successful, US carriers are not seen ordering any time soon.

 

"It doesn't look like there's anything's stirring," said Paul Nisbet at aerospace specialists JSA Research. "The timing is too early. Maybe 10 years from now it'll be in its heyday."

 

The massive plane, which needs special equipment to unload passengers, is significantly bigger than the biggest plane on Boeing's drawing board -- the stretched 747-8 "Intercontinental" jumbo, with 467 seats.

 

The two planes have a flight range of about 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 kilometres), but Airbus is touting better economics with the extra seats and improved fuel efficiency.

 

Still, US airlines -- which have moved towards smaller planes for international routes in recent years such as Boeing's 777 and its planned mid-sized 787 Dreamliner -- have shown no interest so far.

 

Just recovered from a five-year slump after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the carriers are only now set to modernize their fleets but are unwilling to bet on the untested giant.

 

The plane is poorly suited for the routes of US carriers, is too big, and has too many seats, US Airways Group President Scott Kirby said at the airline's media day on Wednesday.

 

The airline, one of Airbus's best US customers, seems to represent the feelings of most of its rivals.

 

"American has never expressed any interest in the A380," said Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American Airlines, the world's biggest airline.

 

The plane does not fit with American's plan to focus on the business-class market on its Asian routes, said Wagner.

 

Delta Air Lines, the number 3 US carrier, is set to buy new planes when it emerges from bankruptcy later this year, but hasn't shown any appetite for the A380.

 

United Airlines and bankrupt Northwest Airlines are perhaps Airbus' most promising potential customers, with their long-distance Asian routes. But with United about a year out of bankruptcy, and Northwest still in it, neither is in a position to go shopping.

 

Northwest would not comment on its fleet plans. United did not return a call seeking comment.

 

Continental Airlines has an all-Boeing fleet and is not considering the A380.

 

US Airways has already ruled out the A380 despite its past purchases of smaller Airbus planes. The A380 "will never fly under the US Airways colors," Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr said on Wednesday.

 

The one ray of light for Airbus in the US is International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), the world's largest plane lessor and one of the most influential plane buyers, which has 10 A380s on order.

 

"We believe there's still a market for that airplane," said John Plueger, ILFC's chief operating officer, in an interview last month.

 

"The industry will face mounting infrastructure limitations," said Plueger. "It just means planes will get bigger. We've known that for many years."

 

International air traffic will grow about 5.6 percent annually over the next few years, according to the International Air Transport Association. At that rate, global traffic will double by 2020.

 

Plueger said the world's major air traffic will always flow between big cities, on routes like Hong Kong to Heathrow.

 

The sheer size of the plane may concern Americans now, but that won't be a long-term factor, he said.

 

"'I don't want to fly in an airplane with 600 people.' That's a popular and understood response," said Plueger. "In 10 years, you won't even think about it."

 

(Reuters)

 

[Andrew Ong 1]

This is your chance, Andrew, to share your A380 shots with us here

 

I am unable to go to LAX on Monday or Tuesday because of school and I have a load of homework to do

[Andrew Ong 1]

News release from NBC 4 Los Angeles:

 

Airbus A380 Superjumbo Arrives In U.S.

 

Flight Is Chance To Show Off Jet To U.S. Airports, Potential Buyers

 

LOS ANGELES -- The world's largest passenger plane completed a bicoastal American debut Monday, touching down at Los Angeles International Airport minutes after a sister aircraft landed in New York.

 

The massive Airbus A380 descended out of a dank, gray sky and made a picture-perfect landing in Los Angeles just before 9:30 a.m. as hundreds of spectators cheered from both sides of the airport.

 

About 15 minutes earlier, an A380 touched down on the other side of the country, at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

 

"Pretty exciting day," Airbus North America Chairman Allan McArtor said as he greeted Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who watched the arrival with company officials and other dignitaries.

 

"This is going to be a very significant airplane for the future of air travel and tourism," Villaraigosa said.

 

The flight crew came out of the plane about 30 minutes after landing and was greeted on the stairway by Villaraigosa. Along with several dignitaries, the group made its way down a Los Angeles fixture -- a red carpet. Photographers swarmed the crew as news helicopters hovered overhead.

 

The double-decker, four-engine A380 is 239 feet long, seats as many as 550 passengers and can fly some 8,000 nautical miles. By comparison, the largest passenger plane now in service, the Boeing 747-400, seats about 415 people.

 

Airbus has 166 orders from 15 airlines for the new plane, which already has made tests flights in Europe and to Asia.

 

The Los Angeles airport, the fifth-busiest worldwide, is expected to be the first U.S. destination for the A380 when it enters commercial service.

 

The inaugural Los Angeles flight originated in Toulouse, France, and was operated by Australian airline Qantas. It was devoid of passengers and crew, save for those in the cockpit.

 

Noise is a major issue for people living near LAX and during post-landing ceremonies officials repeatedly stressed that the big jet will be quieter on landings and takeoffs than other large aircraft.

 

Toulouse-based Airbus said the plane will undergo tests at LAX, including airfield maneuvers, docking at the terminal gate and ground and gate handling exercises.

 

The New York flight carried 483 people, including four pilots, four Airbus crew members, 23 Lufthansa cabin crew and several hundred passengers, mostly Airbus and Lufthansa employees along with some reporters.

 

The flight operated just as if it were a commercial trek, with full dining and entertainment services.

 

Los Angeles officials fought hard to host the A380's inaugural landing, writing a letter to Airbus earlier this year urging executives to reconsider plans for an initial landing only in New York.

 

Los Angeles officials contended Airbus was reneging on a promise to make the first U.S. stop in Los Angeles, which kept its word to speed up construction of new $9 million gate for the giant jet.

 

Airbus relented just three weeks ago.

 

The Los Angeles airport agency ultimately plans to spend about $121 million to prepare for the A380, and already has written checks for about $50 million to improve runway and taxiway intersections.

[Andrew Ong 1]

News release from KCAL 9 Los Angeles:

 

World's Biggest Jetliner Makes Debut Landing At LAX

 

(Los Angeles, CA)-- The world's largest passenger jet made its West Coast debut this morning at Los Angeles International Airport. The gigantic French-made Airbus A380 is eight stories tall at the tail and seats 555 travelers. The airport is undergoing a 121-million-dollar runway and gateway renovation to accommodate the massive plane. That work scheduled to be completed in 2010. The nonstop flight into Los Angeles from France is designed to test the airport as it gets ready for Airbus service from Quantas Airways set to begin in 2008. Only six overseas carriers that fly out of LAX have ordered them at a cost of 319-million-dollars each. By 2010, all of them will have Airbus A380 flights into and out of Los Angeles.

[Kevin Teh 0]

My dad was there.... wait till he send me some of the pic and i'll share with you guys

[Seth K 3]

My dad was there.... wait till he send me some of the pic and i'll share with you guys

Spotters, like father like son Kevin?

 

I wonder how much Airbus already spend on advertising their A380...

Edited March 20, 2007 by Seth K

[Kevin Teh 0]

Spotters, like father like son Kevin?

 

I wonder how much Airbus already spend on advertising their A380...

 

 

He got influenced by me when i brought him there to the Imperial Hill and the In and out spot during my visit, and now addicted But he is yet to acquire himself a good weapon to shoot them down... here's the pic from the ordinary SONY DC, touched down 0930... i guess our members there at LA surely got it in better quality

 

 

approaching 24R i suppose

[Pieter C. 5]

approaching 24R i suppose

 

Development A380s land at JFK, LAX

 

Tuesday March 20, 2007

A380 development aircraft MSN7, with nearly 500 passengers onboard and operated with assistance from Lufthansa, made a smooth landing at New York JFK shortly after noon yesterday, becoming the first of the aircraft type to land at a US airport (see story below).

 

A second development A380 carrying no passengers arrived shortly thereafter at Los Angeles International Airport. "We're testing actual factors in a real airline environment. This shows the A380 works," Airbus CCO John Leahy said.

 

MSN7 landed to cheers from observers standing on a taxiway adjacent to the airport's main runway. A US flag was thrust from a cockpit window as it taxied in, marking the type's arrival in New York. Leahy downplayed the fact that no US carriers have ordered the A380, calling it a "global plane" and insisting Airbus is hopeful United Airlines and/or Northwest Airlines will order it for transpacific operations.

 

He added that the production problems that have delayed deliveries by 22-24 months are "behind us" and that all passenger airline A380 customers have "stayed with us." He did confirm, however, that "the freighter program has been interrupted and will probably come back for entry into service in 2014. . .We're taking some of those [production] slots that would have gone to freighters and using them for passenger aircraft." UPS has said it will cancel its order--the last one remaining for the A380F--later this year.

 

LH Executive VP-Operations Carl Sigel said the flight, carrying dignitaries, press and LH frequent fliers, was "very successful. . .You would think a plane this size would be like a bus or truck but it handles like a Ferrari." LH said it will begin operating an A380 to JFK in the summer of 2009.

 

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Anthony Shorris, noting that the agency has invested $180 million to upgrade JFK to accommodate the large aircraft, said it will be critical in helping the airport handle expected rising traffic demand.

 

 

[Andrew Ong 1]

approaching 24R i suppose

 

That's correct, it had a bit of a bumpy landing on 24R

 

Side Note:

Qantas will be the first airline to send the A380 to LAX in 2008 (I heard from NBC 4 Los Angeles)

 

Will MAS send their A380 to LAX to operate as MH094/MH095?

Edited March 21, 2007 by Andrew Ong

[Yuh Loh 0]

Right now live at

 

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=...&id=3654457

[Andrew Ong 1]

The A380 took off from LAX at 5:25p.m (Los Angeles's time)

[Pieter C. 5]

Attention Sneeze

 

A380 at JFK:

 

F-WWJB arrived approx 1215pm, having circled over Long Island!

 

It was towed to hangar 19, and is visible from the Belt Parkway if you are west of JFK.

 

Will be out tomorrow heading for Chicago, returning later in the day.

 

Tuesday, will perform a 90 minute press JFK - JFK flight, approx 1030am local, departing for Frankfurt at 2200L.

 

Aircraft has a round trip to Hong Kong later this week, plus some time in Munich.

 

On the 25th F-WWJB will be flying from Frankfurt - IAD Washington Dulles, returning to Germany later that day!

 

Here's the planned schedule:

 

1903 DLH8940 EDDF 0800UTC - KJFK

2103 DLH8945 KJFK - EDDF 0930UTC

2303 DLH8946 EDDF 1430UTC - VHHH

2503 DLH8947 VHHH - EDDF 1310UTC

2503 DLH8948 EDDF 1600UTC - KIAD

2603 DLH8949 KIAD - EDDF 1000UTC

2803 DLH8940 EDDF 0900UTC - EDDM 1030UTC

2803 DLH8942 EDDM 1530UTC - LFBO

 

[Seth K 3]

Still, US airlines -- which have moved towards smaller planes for international routes in recent years such as Boeing's 777 and its planned mid-sized 787 Dreamliner -- have shown no interest so far.

 

The plane is poorly suited for the routes of US carriers, is too big, and has too many seats, US Airways Group President Scott Kirby said at the airline's media day on Wednesday.The airline, one of Airbus's best US customers, seems to represent the feelings of most of its rivals.

 

"American has never expressed any interest in the A380,"

 

Delta Air Lines, the number 3 US carrier, is set to buy new planes when it emerges from bankruptcy later this year, but hasn't shown any appetite for the A380.

 

United Airlines and bankrupt Northwest Airlines are perhaps Airbus' most promising potential customers, with their long-distance Asian routes. But with United about a year out of bankruptcy, and Northwest still in it, neither is in a position to go shopping.

 

Continental Airlines has an all-Boeing fleet and is not considering the A380.

 

The A380 "will never fly under the US Airways colors," Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr said on Wednesday.

Basically, what the news try to tell ppl is, non of the American Carriers will buy thins thing.......and none of them will dare to go for it

Edited March 21, 2007 by Seth K

[Sneeze Lam 0]

Attention Sneeze

1903 DLH8940 EDDF 0800UTC - KJFK

2103 DLH8945 KJFK - EDDF 0930UTC

2303 DLH8946 EDDF 1430UTC - VHHH

2503 DLH8947 VHHH - EDDF 1310UTC

2503 DLH8948 EDDF 1600UTC - KIAD

2603 DLH8949 KIAD - EDDF 1000UTC

2803 DLH8940 EDDF 0900UTC - EDDM 1030UTC

2803 DLH8942 EDDM 1530UTC - LFBO

 

 

Haha, Thanks Pieter.

 

In fact this LH flight will have an ETA of 0940 and then ETD the same day 1400 and arrive again at 1600 (all time in +08:00).

and depart on 25/Mar 0850.

 

But sad that, wx forcast OCCASIONAL RAIN on 24 and CLOUDY WITH A FEW RAIN PATCHES on 25. :nea:

Edited March 21, 2007 by Sneeze Lam

[Andrew Ong 1]

Approved by the FAA and EASA:

 

Airbus A380 approved to operate on 45m runways

31 July 2007

 

Airbus’ A380 has received approval from both the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to be operated on runways with a width of 45 metres (150 feet) or more. Most of the world airports have 45m runways as standard width.

 

"This aircraft has been shown to be safely controllable and to be compliant with applicable airworthiness requirements when operating on runways with a width of 45 meters (150 feet) or more", stated James J. Ballough, FAA Director Flight Standards Service in an official correspondence to Airbus, dated July 19, 2007.

 

This approval is yet another great achievement for the A380 Programme and the result of a unique operational evaluation including airport compatibility checks, route proving campaigns and dedicated flight-testing together with the Authorities.

 

“Full Airport compatibility has always been a key design driver for this new flagship of the 21 century”, says Mario Heinen, Airbus Executive Vice President, A380 Programme. “Since the very beginning of the A3XX concept phase in 1996 Airbus has established a sustainable dialogue with regulators, airports, airlines, ground handlers and pilots as well as trade-associations, with the objective to make it fully compliant with the average airport environments. We are pleased to see once more that this approach is bearing fruits.”

 

The A380 has already visited more than 45 airports. By 2011, more than 70 airports will be ready for A380 operations.

 

In parallel, Airbus is progressing well with the first customer A380s. The first A380 for Singapore Airlines arrived in Toulouse in mid-July after completion of the cabin installation. It is now submitted to thorough final checks, prior to delivery to the customer in October. The subsequent aircraft, for delivery to Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airlines and Qantas, are also well on track.

 

Being cleaner, greener, quieter and smarter, the A380 is already setting new standards for transport and the environment. Per passenger, the A380 is as fuel efficient as a small economical family car. The combination of extra passenger capacity without increasing the number of flights, excellent environmental performance and lower operating costs is an ideal solution for both increasingly congested airports and the airlines that serve them.

 

Airbus is an EADS company.

[Fairul 0]

the turning radius is much more important to cater this big airbus....

 

45m is sufficient enough..but don't forget the outer engines still hangs on the edge of the runway shoulder if its 45m....which is prone to FODs

[Chan CS 0]

the turning radius is much more important to cater this big airbus....

 

45m is sufficient enough..but don't forget the outer engines still hangs on the edge of the runway shoulder if its 45m....which is prone to FODs

 

So that's the reason usually they will reserve only with engine 2 and 3?

[TW Teo 0]

So that's the reason usually they will reserve only with engine 2 and 3?

If you mean the thrust reversal, yes... the A380 only has reverse thrust on engine 2 & 3.

[BC Tam 2]

I previously read somewhere that the designers concluded that thrust reversers on 2 & 3 alone, together with brakes and spoilers were efficient enough to stop the whalejet. No mention of FOD concern to engines 1 & 4 on narrow runways, though it could prove to be an added bonus to the design eventually !

Edited August 5, 2007 by BC Tam

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

If you mean the thrust reversal, yes... the A380 only has reverse thrust on engine 2 & 3.

 

If I am not mistaken , it has reverse thrust on all 4 engines , but only 2 & 3 are used as a S.O.P.

[TW Teo 0]

If I am not mistaken , it has reverse thrust on all 4 engines , but only 2 & 3 are used as a S.O.P.

I'm quite sure there's only 2. Check out this pic. Notice only 2 reverse throttle levers on 2 & 3?

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

Crikey !

You're right ... Interesting eh .... Wonder why didn't they just leave it there since it will be a good thing to have in the case of a rejected take off so u dont have to blow all the tires and replace all the brakes ...