A380 arrives in Singapore for Asia tour

Flight International online news 0945GMT: Airbus’ A380 has arrived in Singapore on the initial leg of its Asia-Pacific tour, which will mark the first time airports in the region will have a chance to test equipment and other infrastructure upgrades designed to accommodate the double-deck aircraft type.

The aircraft, MSN001, landed at Singapore’s Changi airport at around 10:00 today and was parked at gate F31 at Terminal 2, home to Singapore Airlines (SIA) which has 10 A380s on firm order and which will be the first operator.

Airbus chief operating officer and A380 programme head Charles Champion, who attended today’s A380 arrival events at Changi, declined to say exactly when the first A380 will be delivered to SIA but he reiterated Airbus’ earlier assertions it would be sometime in November 2006. SIA hopes to put the aircraft into service before the end of 2006.

Champion also reveals that the A380 will be in Singapore again in February for the Asian Aerospace airshow and that Airbus is considering having the aircraft in SIA’s livery. “It has not been decided. It may be in SIA livery or Airbus livery,” he says.

Changi is using the current visit to test airside upgrades made in preparation for the A380’s entry into service. Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) senior engineer Koh Ming Sue says Changi has completed the 4.5m widening of each runway shoulder and that around 60% of the taxiway junctions have been widened.

Catering vehicles are being procured and docking guidance systems are being re-configured to handle the A380’s upper deck. Two gates at Terminal 2, F31 and E5, have already had waiting lounges expanded to account for the A380’s higher passenger volume and third aerobridges have been installed to handle the aircraft’s upper deck.

“Nine other existing hold rooms in Terminal 1 and 2 are similarly being modified and the future Terminal 3 [under construction] will have another eight A380 compatible bringing the total…at the airport to 19,” says Koh, adding that 11 will be ready at the end of 2006.

Airbus says in a statement that Frankfurt, Melbourne, and Singapore Changi are just some of the airports already “geared up” to handle the A380. Airbus chief operating officer customers John Leahy said at Changi today that “23 airports will be ready next year and by 2010 we will have 60 airports ready”.

The visiting A380 is due to arrive at Brisbane in Australia tomorrow morning. It will then be flown to Sydney and Melbourne on 13 and 14 November respectively before returning to Brisbane on 15 November for the 85^th anniversary celebration of Oneworld carrier Qantas Airways, which has 12 A380s on firm order.

After the celebrations it will leave for Kuala Lumpur, home of Malaysia Airlines which has six A380s on order. It will then return to Airbus’ base in Toulouse before flying on to the Dubai airshow.

MSN 001 is one of three A380s Airbus currently has flying as part of the flight test programme. So far the manufacturer has recorded around 500hr of flying time for the aircraft type and it expects to reach 5,000hr by year-end, says Champion. He adds that the manufacturer has assembled 11 A380s so far and is completing assembly at a rate of “about one aircraft per month”.