Purpose-built pier designed to accommodate giant airliner almost ready, but no decision yet on north runway upgrade
London Heathrow's purpose-built Airbus A380 pier is on schedule to be completed at the end of the year, enabling the new giant to undertake "fit-checks" in early in 2006. However the airport has not decided whether to carry out the changes needed to make its north runway A380-compatible before 2008.
The £450 million ($850 million) invested by Heathrow operator BAA is by far the largest spend by any airport so far to accommodate the 550-seater. Although the package of modifications includes elements such as preparation of the south runway, realignment and widening of taxiways, expansion of halls and building demolition, the single biggest component is the £100 million construction of a new Pier 6 at Terminal 3 (T3).
"Pier 6 will be completed by the end of the year, and we'll be ready to handle Airbus's A380 compatibility checks in January 2006," says BAA major project programme director Robert Swan. Airbus will fly one of its A380 development aircraft into Heathrow during the test programme when it undertakes airport compatibility trials.
Pier 6 will become commercially operational at the end of February 2006, ahead of the first A380 revenue service into Heathrow, which is due to be operated by Singapore Airlines (SIA) in mid-2006.
Two other airlines are due to begin A380 operations to Heathrow next year - Qantas and Emirates towards the end of the year. While SIA and Emirates will operate to T3, Qantas uses Terminal 4 where BAA is preparing to modify two stands to accommodate the A380. BAA business and strategic development director Eryl Smith says that other airlines expected to start A380 operations to Heathrow before 2009 include Etihad Airways, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and possibly one of the Chinese carriers. "We're talking about a modest number of operations in the 2006-2008 timeframe, and it is our intention to meet that requirement on a 'just in time' basis," he says.
This philosophy means that BAA has not yet carried out the modifications required to make Heathrow's northern runway A380 compatible. "We'll take the decision this year on whether to do that before the end of 2008," says Smith. He adds that London Gatwick could handle A380 diversions should Heathrow's south runway ever be unavailable.
Terminal 5 will have five A380 stands when it opens in 2008, and the pace of longer term expansion for the A380 across all the long haul terminals will be determined by the take-up of A380 orders by Heathrow operators, says Smith.
MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / LONDON
Source: Flight International
