BAA Heathrow welcomed the world's largest commercial airliner, the Airbus A380, on 18 May 2006, when it made its British debut to carry out airport compatibility checks.
The Airbus A380 aircraft is designed to carry 555 passengers in a typical seating configuration, including an Economy, a Business and a First class in a typical three-class configuration, and able to fly for almost 15,000 km (8,000 nautical miles) non-stop.
The A380 arrived on Heathrow's Southern Runway and parked at Terminal 3, Pier 6 – a new, purpose-built £100 million facility that is a 280 metre long, three-storey-high pier which can accommodate up to four A380s at a time, with four gate rooms which together seat 2,200 passengers.
During its UK visit, BAA and Airbus carried out ground handling and airport compatibility trials,
which helped to ensure that everything is ready for the aircraft's entry into service.
Airlines planning to operate the A380 at Heathrow include the first to begin a scheduled service,
Singapore Airlines, for whom deliveries are scheduled before the year end; as well as Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Airbus programmes generate around 140,000 direct and indirect jobs in the UK.
At least 22,000 of these jobs result from the A380, with the figures increasing further when taking into account UK engine manufacturing through Rolls-Royce,
and its supply chain, which provides the Trent 900 engine as an option on the A380.
More than 400 companies throughout the UK are contributing to the A380 programme.
A380 Key Facts:
- The A380 made its British debut when it landed at Heathrow on Thursday, 18 May 2006 for the first time,
in order to carry out airport compatibility checks. It flew out early the following morning.
- It can hold 555 passengers in a typical seating configuration, including an Economy-,
a Business-, and a First-class section in a typical three-class configuration.
However, most airlines have actually indicated that they may have fewer seats than this.
- It has a wingspan of 79.8 metres, more than 15 metres wider than a Boeing 747.
- The fuselage of the A380 stands 5 metres higher than a Boeing 747.
- The aircraft is powered by four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or GE/Pratt & Whitney GP7200 engines.
- It has 16 passenger doors and 22 wheels.
- The A380 passenger aircraft, along with the freighter version, the A380F, is the largest member of the Airbus family.
- Its has a range of 15,000 kilometres/8,000 nautical miles.
- Maximum take-off weight (MTOW) is 560 tonnes.
- The volume of the three decks (the two decks of cabins and the deck of cargo) is 1570 cubic metres (55,446 cubic feet) –
large enough to hold nearly 35 million ping-pong balls.
- With all seats removed, the A380 provides enough space to accommodate 10 squash courts.
- During take-off, the wing will flex upwards by over four metres.
- The cables for the electrical layout measure 500 km (310 miles).
- It will mostly fly on those routes which see the heaviest concentration of large aircraft flights today.
Currently 60 major airports around the world are ready for the A380 or preparing to receive it.
- The A380 will be an environmentally friendly aircraft, which will produce half as much noise on take-off as its competitor and consume less than 3 litres of fuel per passenger over 100 km,
a rate comparable to that of an economical family car. With its greater capacity and unprecedented environmental friendliness,
the A380 provides the most economical and socially responsible solution to growing air traffic on key trunk routes.
- The A380 combines the very latest technologies for materials, systems and industrial processes.
It meets the most stringent international certification requirements.
- Airbus UK is responsible for the design and manufacture of the high-technology wings for all Airbus models as well as overall design and supply of the fuel system.
For most Airbus models the company is responsible for overall design and supply of landing gear.
Employing around 12,000 people, Airbus UK is based at two sites; Broughton, North Wales being where wing component manufacturing and wing assembly takes place and Filton near Bristol where the engineering and design activity takes place along with some manufacturing work.
Locations of major component manufacturers:
- Cockpit – Méaulte, France
- Front and aft fuselage – Hamburg, Germany
- Centre fuselage – St. Nazaire, France
- Tailcone – Getafe, Spain
- Wings – Broughton, Wales
- Engines – UK and US