Airbus A380 Flights to Heathrow Airport
Airbus A380 flights to Heathrow Airport start today, with the arrival this afternoon of a Singapore Airlines flight.
The service will be the commercial A380 flight to Europe.
The flight is due to arrive at 1505 GMT, having departed Singapore at 2120 Eastern Daily Time (EDT).
The aircraft is expected to have around 470 passengers on board, who will each receive a personalised certificate to commemorate the flight.
Singapore Airlines operates three A380s, the aircraft having entered service with the airline in October 2007.
Since then the carrier has been using the aircraft on flights between Singapore and Sydney.
The airline said the arrival of the A380 for its first European service would be a "proud moment for British aviation", since the aircraft's wings and engines are manufactured by the UK aerospace industry at sites in North Wales and Bristol respectively.
Heathrow Airport's operator, BAA, added: "`[The A380's] extra capacity will allow us to make efficient use of our two busy runways. It will enable traffic growth without a corresponding increase in flights".
Singapore Airbus A380 Flights Will Use Terminal 3
On arrival later today, the Singapore A380 will taxy to the terminal's Pier 6 - which was specifically constructed by airport operator BAA to handle the A380. Singapore Airbus A380 flights into Heathrow Airport will use the Terminal 3.
Pier 6, which cost £105 million, is able to handle four of the giant airliners.
BAA also spent £304 million on other works to enable Heathrow to handle to the A380, including apron resurfacing, re-design of taxiways and runway light improvements.
An A380 has visited Heathrow only once previously - in May 2006, when a pre-production test A380 was flown in by the manufacturer Airbus Industrie to test the newly-introduced facilities.
Heathrow Airport To Become Hub For A380 Flights
Over the coming years, the A380 will become a familiar sight at the UK's busiest airport.
According to Airbus Industrie, Heathrow Airport will become a hub for A380 flights over the next decade. The company believes that by the year 2020, over 90 of the double-decker airliners will be operating from Heathrow.
Emirates will be the next airline to launch A380 flights to Heathrow. The Dubai carrier, which will take delivery of its first A380s this summer, will begin services from Dubai to Heathrow using the A380 on December 1st 2008.
In addition to the Singapore and Emirates aircraft, flag carrier British Airways will be taking delivery of 12 A380s from 2012. Virgin Atlantic has ordered six, which will be delivered from 2013 onwards, while it is also likely that Australian flag carrier Qantas will operate the aircraft into Heathrow in the future.
Terminal 5, opened by HM The Queen last Friday and which will used exclusively by British Airways, will also be able to handle the A380 when it enters service with BA from 2012.
Source - Airport International's London Reporter
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