So with it being 5.5tons lighter,then those range and payload figures should get better??

Most definately!!

Glad to see some good news on the A380 for a change , Some much needed (and deserved) pat on the back to the engineers and designers who build the Beast.

We know from some airline-comments that the A380 met all its performance targets WITH its overweight of 5,5 tons due to better than expected aerodynamics and engine fuel consumption.Now the airplane is 5,5 tons lighter.

That remains to be seen. To really get into the hardcore facts about what it is acheiving vis-a-vis promises we’ll have to wait and see the testing conclude and how it performs in service . It could end up like the 7773er where it still continues to better performance over what was promised (even the adjusted performance) . The wake seperation issues need to be sorted out as it isnt currently meeting the standards that some desire (BA to be one of them) , it needs to reduce the seperation and I think they are going at it for the third time or something like that with a hope to convince the bodies to lower the seperation !!