Re:Alles über den A380 incl. Bilder
(MELBOURNE) Qantas Airways, Australia's largest carrier, said it will take delivery of the first of its Airbus A380 in 2006 as planned. Two rival airlines delayed deliveries of the 555-seat aircraft this week.
'We have no plans to alter the delivery of our first A380 in 2006,' said Simon Rushton, a spokesman for Sydney-based Qantas. Qantas, which ordered 12 A380s, has not revealed a timetable for delivery, he said. Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic Airlines and Air France, Europe's largest carrier, this week delayed delivery of the planes, saying they had doubts airports, including Charles de Gaulle in Paris and Los Angeles International, will be ready to handle the double-deck, so-called superjumbos on time.
The A380, scheduled to start service in two years, will be the world's biggest commercial plane. Mr Rushton declined to comment on the ability of airports to handle the A380. 'We are in regular and good discussions with all our airports,' he said.
Sydney's Kingsford Smith airport, Australia's largest, may spend between A$80 million (S$96 million) and A$100 million to redevelop some parts of the airport, including runways and bridges linking planes to terminals, to accommodate the new aircraft, said Scott Sloan, the airport's manager of media and communications.
'We're in the process of doing our feasibility studies, but we won't require significant alterations,' Mr Sloan said in a phone interview.
'We will be able to accommodate the first flight in 2006, and there will be ongoing work too, as more aircraft come on line.'
Singapore Airlines, scheduled to be the first carrier to fly the new plane in 2006, has said it plans to use its first A380 for services between Australia and London. Sydney Airport is owned by Macquarie Airports. Singapore Airlines said on Wednesday it expects to take delivery of its first A380s between March and April in 2006.
Korean Air, which has ordered five of the planes to be delivered between 2007 and 2009, said on Wednesday a lack of progress on airport renovations to accommodate the planes may prompt it to delay delivery. It did not specify which airports. - Bloomberg