Hot Weather, Operational Testing To Commence August 15

Dubai-based Emirates says it is marking its first step in the gradual build-up towards becoming the world's largest operator of the A380 super-jumbo starting August 15. The airline -- which has 55 planes on order, out of 173 total orders and commitments -- says it is gearing up to jointly conduct hot weather operability tests with Airbus on the aircraft in Dubai.

The tests are part of an extensive campaign by Emirates to prepare for the A380’s smooth entry into the airline’s fleet in 2008 beginning with hot weather trials and followed by technical training later in the year, which also add to the extreme weather testing conducted by Airbus in the Middle East and Africa last year.

The MSN007 aircraft will undergo airport compatibility checks, on-ground and in-flight service checks and ground handling and maintenance procedure tests during its seven-day Dubai stay. Two flights -- flown both by Airbus test pilots as well as Emirates pilots -- will take to the Dubai skies on August 17 and 18, operating on back-to-back schedules with a two-hour turnaround period.

"Having worked closely with Airbus in the design and development of the A380, we are delighted to be collaborating with them once again to test the ground handling aspects of the aircraft and its operational performance in normal and extreme conditions," said Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Executive Vice President, Engineering and Operations.

"Between now and the final date of delivery, there will be more opportunities to test the aircraft’s systems including the unique cabin interiors. It is our aim to continue working on perfecting the operational procedures -- on the ground and in the air -- to ensure 100 percent readiness when Emirates’ first A380 enters service next year."

To simulate normal operating conditions, 517 passengers -- representing Emirates staff from across the network and selected randomly from over 11,000 applications to fly on the test flights -- will also undergo all pre-flight formalities. These include check-in through self-service kiosks and boarding via double-decker bridges at fixed gates, which are already in place. To test tarmac boarding, passengers will board through remote gates that require up to ten buses carrying 50 passengers each to reach the aircraft.

Emirates says it has also strengthened its pre-flight operations to handle the larger volumes of about 40 percent more passengers per flight. When in the skies, the passengers will be attended to by 22 cabin crew and served a complete refreshment service.

During the tight turnaround interval, cleaning crew will test their operations and Emirates Flight Catering will load food trolleys using a special A380 hi-loader while cargo and baggage loading will be simulated and ground support equipment will be deployed -- all in addition to the deplaning of the existing passengers and boarding of the subsequent batch.

The campaign will also afford opportunities for Emirates Engineering to become familiar with the nuts and bolts of the aircraft. Engineering staff, along with Airbus personnel, will conduct routine maintenance of the aircraft, including main wheel and nose wheel changes, engine cowling opening and cabin systems checks.

A critical component of the testing program is the full-docking trials in the new $8.4 million-dollar Emirates Engineering Center. The A380-compatible facility can house eighteen A380 aircraft -- one in each of the eight hangars, nine in the dedicated parking bays outside the hangars and one in the engine run up facility. The hangars’ dimensions are aligned to the A380 facilities constructed by Airbus at its headquarters in Toulouse.

FMI: www.airbus.com, www.emirates.com