Fri, Mar 02, 2007
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.
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