The Australian

AS the massive double-decker Airbus A380 pulled into a special purpose-built gate at Sydney Airport yesterday it was a case of “where the bloody hell are you?” for airport authorities.
The airport has spent $90 million preparing for the big plane, including the two-level gate capable of servicing one door on the plane’s upper deck and two on the lower level.

But production delays mean that, despite yesterday’s arrival, the superjumbo will not enter service next month, as planned. And the impressive gate will have to service lesser aircraft until late next year.

Sydney Airport has been preparing for the A380’s arrival for four years and the first of the big three-door gates, capable of handling 500 passengers with each arrival, has been ready since June.

As well as strengthening the runway over a road tunnel and widening runway shoulders, the airport widened and relocated taxiways and is adding bigger luggage carousels.

Another gate is due to be completed in mid-December and four more, as well as three layover gates, are planned as part of the $32 million still to be spent before the works are complete in mid-2008.

That will be shortly before Qantas hopes to take delivery of the first of 20 aircraft it is due to receive between August, 2008, and 2015 – and not quite a year after Singapore Airlines is due to launch the world’s first commercial service to Sydney.

Airbus A380 product marketing manager Corrin Higgs said yesterday the European plane manufacturer was confident the airlines would get their new planes according to the revised schedule.

Asked whether the schedule was set in stone, he said: “I wouldn’t say set in stone, we can’t guarantee the future. But I think we’ve made sure our predictions are correct this time because I don’t think that our customers are willing to accept further delays.”

But Airbus officials are confident the big plane will be certified by US and European regulatory authorities next month.

This week’s visit is the last of four technical route-proving test flights that will conclude the certification program. The four flights required the superjumbo to complete function and reliability tests at key airports around the world involving 150 hours flying in a normal operating environment.

This flight went from Airbus’ home in Toulouse, France, to Johannesburg, South Africa, and then non-stop across the South Pole to Sydney. It will leave today for Vancouver in Canada before returning to Toulouse via the North Pole.

The A380 nominally carries 555 people in three classes, but the three carriers who will initially be servicing Australia with the plane – Singapore, Emirates and Qantas – have all opted for lower passenger numbers to accommodate new seating and options such as bars