Airbus A380 to don Singapore Airlines colours for Asian Aerospace 2006

An Airbus A380 test aircraft, decked in full Singapore Airlines colours, will grace the skies of Singapore, home of A380 launch customer Singapore Airlines, next month. The aircraft will be participating in Asian Aerospace 2006, the region’s premier air show that will take place from 21-26 February.

The A380, the world’s largest ever commercial airliner, will be on static display throughout the duration of the air show at the Singapore Changi Exhibition Centre. In addition, Singaporeans and visitors to the air show will be able to catch the double-decker in flight as Airbus test pilots conduct daily flying demonstrations.

Meanwhile, work on the Singapore Airlines A380 is well underway at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France. Eight Singapore Airlines A380s are in various stages of production, four of which are in the advanced stages.

SIA has 10 A380s on firm order and 15 on option. The order was placed in September 2000 and is worth US$8.6 billion, including the cost of spares and installed engines (but not including the cost of spare engines).

Singapore Airlines will be the first in the world to operate the A380 at the end of 2006. Customers on the Singapore Airlines A380, particularly in the premium classes, will notice a distinctly different cabin product and will be able to enjoy the greater luxury and comfort that the increased space on this aircraft affords. There will be less than 480 seats in a three-class configuration on the Singapore Airlines A380, although the aircraft was designed to accommodate 555 passengers in the same layout.

The aircraft that will be used for this upcoming visit is one of the five A380 development aircraft that Airbus uses for the A380 flight test campaign. The campaign involves over 2,500 hours of flight tests conducted across three continents. This will culminate in certification by the European and American airworthiness authorities, after which the first A380 will be delivered to Singapore Airlines in November this year.

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