Simultaneous JFK, LAX Landings Scheduled For March 19

If this were the military, it would be known as a flanking attack. Later this month, two Airbus A380s will make their simultaneous US debuts on opposite sides of the country. One will land at New York's Kennedy Airport, as another touches down at Los Angeles International Airport.

That's good news for plane aficionados on the West Coast, and for LAX. As Aero-News reported, airport officials were less than pleased last month, when Airbus announced the first US-bound A380 would land in New York. Los Angeles officials said Airbus was reneging on a promise the first US landing would be at their airport.

Airbus originally responded that delays in the A380's development forced a change to those plans. After the city's Airport Commission president wrote to Airbus CEO Louis Gallois, however, asking for him to reconsider the JFK-only plan... Airbus apparently agreed, and added the simultaneous LAX arrival.

LAX personnel say they're well-prepared for the superjumbo. To hold up their end of the original bargain, airport crews sped up construction of a new $9 million gate specifically for the mammoth plane.

"Being part of the A380's inaugural visit to the US is a clear indication that Los Angeles is a leading international gateway and that our airport is a world-class facility," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to The Associated Press. "The A380 is at the leading edge of the future of aviation, and Los Angeles is proud to be a part of this historic moment."

For now, little is known about the actual LAX landing... other than it will be March 19, and the A380 involved will ultimately go to Australia's Qantas Airways.

Officially, the visit is a compatibility test -- to make sure the airport can accommodate the A380. But it's also something much more: the American unveiling of the largest commercial jet ever to fly... right on the Boeing 747's home turf.

FMI: www.airbus.com, www.lawa.org