A380 era is upon us

By Chloe Rigby Business editor, in Toulousec.rigby@bepp.co.uk THEplane that Airbus says will be the world's most recognisable jet isjust weeks away from taking to the skies.

The A380, the first double decker passenger jet, is scheduled fortake-off on its maiden flight in the first three months of next year.

The first commercial flight of the landmark plane, which iscapable of carrying up to 555 passengers, will be in the secondquarter of 2006.

The Evening Post has been given an early glimpse of the plane, nowin its final assembly stage in Toulouse.

Iain Gray, managing director of Airbus UK at Filton, says thelaunch will be important for two reasons.

He said: "Firstly, from an Airbus point of view, last year was ahuge milestone in that for the first time ever we delivered moreaircraft than Boeing. From a wider point of view that established usas number one. The A380 reflects that position.

"Secondly, we are entering the era of the A380. It is the world'sgreatest engineering challenge going on today.

"It is a plane that people around the world will come to know andrecognise."

The A380's maiden flight will not only be a milestone for Airbusbut for aerospace workers across Bristol and the South West.

Some 1,000 people are working on the plane's wings, landing gearand fuel systems at Airbus in Filton but many thousands more areemployed at smaller suppliers across the region.

Mr Gray said: "It is a showpiece project for aerospace and forengineering. It is the world's biggest aerospace developmentprogramme today."

The plane has been under development since the mid-1990s and waslaunched in 2000.

Now there are 139 orders and commitments for the A380 and itsfreighter version from 13 airlines.

The first plane to fly commercially will do so under SingaporeAirlines colours, but customers also include Air France, Qantas andEmirates.

The planemaker believes they are drawn to a combination of largercapacity, greater environmental features and higher cost efficiency,resulting in lower ticket prices. Those factors give it the edge overthe Boeing 747. The new plane is expected to fly to 60 airports by2010. Since the A380 went on the market, it has outsold the B747 bythree to one.