The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is planning an early Christmas present for Airbus this year, with agency insiders pointing to a definitive date of 15 december for A380 type certification.
Airbus and EASA have set the mid-Advent 15 December as the target date for full European type certification of the A380 superlarge aircraft. Despite repeated delays to the A380 programme, which have pushed back the first delivery to late 2007, Airbus's parent company EADS recently reaffirmed its commitment to gaining type certification by year-end.
According to sources close to the process, EASA is working towards Friday 15 December for the approval. European industry closes for the entire week starting 25 December for the Christian religious festival of Christmas and do not return until 2 January 2007. Many workers also take the week commencing 18 December as additional vacation, making 15 December effectively one of the last working days in 2006.
Airbus says: “We haven’t actually fixed a date which we are confirming. We are saying certification by the end of the year. We still have a number of things to do in terms of certification.”
Speaking during an address on EASA's safety agenda and resources this week to the Insurance Institute of London, the agency's head of communications Daniel Holtgen said: “As things are at the moment, at least [A380] type-certification will be reached on time.”
An Airbus A380 equipped with Engine Alliance GP7200 engines was recently sent to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, where it performed high-altitude tests as part of its extreme-conditions engines, systems and structure test campaign. It has since continued the tests at Al Ain airport in the United Arab Emirates.
The A380 has performed more than 700 flights, accumulating over 2,200 test flight hours. Airbus says that the certification programme is on track and the aircraft’s performance is often exceeding expectations.
In September the manufacturer said that outstanding tests include: handling qualities, autopilot power plants, fuel systems, electrical systems and route proving.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
