Mon, Mar 19, 2007
ANN REALTIME REPORTING 03.19.07 1235 EDT:
Within the past hour, two Airbus A380 superjumbo airliners -- one
flown by a Lufthansa flight crew, the other plane destined for
Australian carrier Qantas but flown by Airbus pilots -- landed at
New York's JFK International Airport, and Los Angeles International
Airport in southern California.
The arrivals mark the first time Airbus' mammoth
plane touched down on US soil. The LAX flight touched down
approximately 25 minutes after the A380's arrival at JFK.
The Associated Press reports the Lufthansa plane bound for JFK
had a full complement of 483 passengers and crew onboard, including
employees with the German carrier and Airbus. The flight was
designated Lufthansa Flight 8940, and sported full dining and
entertainment options for passengers onboard the 8.5-hour flight
from Frankfurt.
"We are proud that ... we are now able to present the A380 to
the American people," said A380 program head Mario Heinen. "Both
JFK and LAX, as well as Chicago O'Hare International and Washington
Dulles International Airport are key future destinations for the
A380."
On Tuesday, the A380 will head to Chicago, where Airbus will
demonstrate the aircraft's ability to operate from O'Hare. That
demo flight is expected to be watched closely by two potential A380
customers -- Northwest Airlines and United Airlines -- reports the
Associated Press. The plane will then return to New York and then
Frankfurt.
After a stop in Hong Kong, the same plane will make a return
appearance on US soil March 25, when it is scheduled to land at
Dulles International Airport.
The A380 that landed at LAX had only an Airbus flight test crew
onboard. The plane will be used for evaluation testing of the
airport's ability to handle the superjumbo airliner.
ANN will bring you more on this story as it develops.
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