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Airbus tests HK's ability to handle superjumbo

Airbus SAS flew an A380 to Hong Kong, testing the readiness of Asia's busiest international airport for the world's largest commercial airplane.

The aircraft maker and Deutsche Lufthansa AG flew an A380 to the city on Saturday as part of global airport trial and publicity campaign that also included visits to New York and Chicago.

The model is expected to enter service with Singapore Airlines in October, a year later than planned.

Half the 20 airports predicted to get the most A380 arrivals are in Asia-Pacific. Hong Kong International Airport and other airfields have widened taxiways and built new air bridges to ensure the double-decker jet can be unloaded, cleaned, fueled and boarded by as many as 700 passengers in 90 minutes.

"Taking longer is not acceptable," Holger Hatty, a member of Lufthansa's passenger airline board, said in an interview during a flight for journalists. "This aircraft has to be more efficient than others."

Asian airlines including Qantas Airways Ltd and Malaysian Airline System Bhd account for half of A380 airline customers.

In addition, Lufthansa, Emirates Airline, the largest customer for the A380, and other operators based outside Asia will also fly the superjumbo to Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok and other major airports in the region.

The main challenge for A380 airports is at the gate.

The aircraft is 15m wider than a Boeing Co 747-400, the largest commercial airplane in operation at present, which creates problems at congested airports, such as London Heathrow, where space is at a premium.

Accessing the plane's upper level passenger door requires a special air bridge at the gate.

While Airbus claims the 90-minute turnaround can be achieved without using just the two lower level doors, "practically all" A380 airports in Asia will offer direct access to the upper level, said Richard Carcaillet, Airbus' director for A380 product marketing.

More important will be catering trucks able to raise their loads up high enough to reach the upper deck. The alternative, using the plane's internal trolley elevators, will slow down turnaround times, Carcaillet said.

Airport Authority Hong Kong, for instance, spent HK$100 million (US$13 million) on upgrades in preparation for the arrival of the A380, it said in a Nov. 18 statement on its Web site.

Away from the gate, relatively few changes to airfields are needed. The A380 has a shorter take-off run than the 747-400. The A380 does need wider taxiway shoulders, as its outer engines are further away from the center. Still, these shoulders can be earth covered with netting instead of concrete, which cuts costs.

Runways, however, don't need to be strengthened to handle the 560 tonne A380 because extra wheels compensate for the additional weight.
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