BA starts A380 build
Published: 10/04/2012 - Filed under: News »
Construction has begun on BA’s first A380 superjumbo, which is due for delivery in 2013.
The carrier has a total of 12 A380s on order, and although launch routes have yet to be officially announced, Bloomberg has previously reported that BA plans to operate the superjumbo on services to New York, Hong Kong, Beijing and Singapore (for further discussion on this topic see our forum).
The first parts of the carrier’s A380 to be constructed are the forward fuselage and aft fuselage, which are being assembled and equipped in Hamburg. The nose, centre sections and tailfin are being assembled in France, and the horizontal tail plane in Spain.
The undercarriage will be assembled in Canada and France, with the wings being constructed in Flintshire, North Wales, and the Roll Royce engines in Derbyshire.
BA says it is “on track” to be the first airline in the world to have both A380 and B787 aircraft in its fleet, with the carrier also having 24 Dreamliners on order.
Commenting on the beginning of the A380 construction process, BA’s CEO Keith Williams said that “Our teams across the airline have been working in partnership with Airbus to ensure that preparations are well underway for us to receive this pioneering and leading edge aircraft, so that it goes smoothly into service for British Airways for the first time next year.
For more information visit ba.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
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COMMENTS »
biarritzsurf9 - 10/04/2012 10:11
Do we know when in 2013 BA expect delivery?
BusinessTraveller - 10/04/2012 10:16
Thanks for your comment biarritzsurf9. BA has yet to announce a more specific date for its first A380 delivery, but there has been a discussion on our forum here:
http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/BA-787-and-A380-delivery-dates-and-numbers
biarritzsurf9 - 10/04/2012 12:27
Thanks. An updated picture of the construction of the airframe (MSN-095) is available on the Instagram photo sharing site ....
paulflight - 16/04/2012 14:27
It will be a close run match between Qatar and BA to be the first airline to operate both the B787 and A380 together in their fleets.
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