Third Superjumbo Sim Ordered From UK Company

Before the Airbus A380 flies for an airline... airline pilots must be trained to fly the A380. Thales UK's services business has been selected by Lufthansa Flight Training to supply an Airbus A380 full-flight simulator.

The Lufthansa order is Thales' third for an A380 Full Flight Simulator, the others being for Singapore Airlines -- the launch customer for the A380 -- and Malaysia Airlines. It will also be the company's fourth flight simulator order from Lufthansa in as many years.

In common with their Thales B747-400 and A320 simulators, which entered service in 2004, the Lufthansa A380 simulator will be manufactured using Thales' C2000X technology. The new A380 sim will also feature Thales' ultra-efficient motion system that uses approximately a third less power than the most efficient current motion systems.

The motion system also has higher environmental benefits, utilizing low quantities of biodegradable vegetable-based oil for hydraulic movement, rather than the traditional mineral oil.

The A380 simulator will be installed into the Lufthansa Flight Training Center located near Frankfurt Main Airport. Thales says the simulator should be training air crews by early 2007.

FMI: www.thales.com, www.lufthansa.com