http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=138198&cat=India
Airbus A380 to visit cities in Europe, Asia Pacific, West Asia Toulouse | October 16, 2005 11:50:05 AM IST The world's newest and largest airliner, the Airbus A380, is to visit Frankfurt in Germany for airport compatibility verification tests at the end of this month and will fly to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in the first half of November. It will then be on display at the Dubai airshow in the second half of November. The visits, which mark the first time that the Airbus A380 will be seen outside Europe, will give customers a chance to see the aircraft at first hand and airports an early opportunity to check their preparedness to handle it in commercial service. The tests at Frankfurt will include taxiing around the airport, docking at a terminal, and checking passenger boarding bridge positioning. They will also demonstrate ease of access for servicing vehicles such as catering trucks, cargo loaders, fuel bowsers and water servicing -- both individually and together as they would be positioned during an aircraft turnaround. The A380 on this tour is MSN001, the first aircraft to fly and one of five taking part in the flight-test campaign. Its cabin is fitted with extensive flight-test instrumentation, measuring equipment and ballast tanks that can be filled with water to simulate the weight of a full load of passengers and cargo. With more than 100 flights and some 350 flight hours performed to date in the flight test programme that already shows a sound and mature design, the A380 is on track to deliver on its promises, according to a statement issued by Airbus Industries. More UNI SU HS GC1041 -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England
