19 January 2009

Trio of A380s land at Heathrow

Three Airbus A380 super jumbos touched down at Heathrow for the first time on the same day over the weekend.

Qantas joined Singapore Airlines and Emirates in making its’ maiden A380 flight to the UK.

Qantas is initially to run three A380 flights a week to Sydney via Singapore - Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays - with each aricraft offering 450 seats in a four-class configuration.

The Australian carrier expects to take delivery of a further four A380s this year, with the next aircraft due in May. This will bring the fleet up to seven.

Colin Matthews, chief executive of Heathrow owner BAA, said: "Qantas’ A380 arrival is a momentous occasion for Heathrow Airport. It is a highly visible indication that airlines are committed to introducing cleaner, quieter aircraft to their fleets.

"Heathrow Airport has a challenging set of environmental targets to meet in order for the third runway to go ahead.

"Technological advancements in engine design are central in enabling us to ensure that air quality and noise will meet the limits set by the government.

"In the short term, aircraft such as the A380 provide some capacity relief as more passengers will be able to use the airport without increasing aircraft numbers."

SIA became the first airline to use the double decker aircraft from the London airport last March.

by Phil Davies