UK. BAA Heathrow today welcomed the world’s largest commercial airliner, the Airbus A380, to the UK. The aircraft arrived on Heathrow’s Southern Runway at 13.20 and parked at Terminal Three, Pier 6 – a new purpose-built £105 million, 280m long, three-storey high pier which can accommodate up to four A380s at a time.
The A380, which will remain at Heathrow overnight, will be carrying out ground handling and airport compatibility trials. These will help to ensure that everything is ready for the aircraft’s entry into service.
The arrival of the A380, which also marked the official opening of Pier 6, was overseen by Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer.
BAA CEO Mike Clasper commented: “Heathrow plays a vital part in the UK economy and the A380 will play an important part in the airport’s future growth plans. That’s why we have invested heavily in developing Pier 6, which we are opening today and, of course Terminal Five, which will also accommodate the A380.
“Bigger planes with more passengers are the only way we can currently handle the ever increasing demand for air travel to and from Heathrow. New planes like the A380 will also help the aviation industry to tackle environmental problems, because of their improved performance on noise and carbon emissions.”
Welcoming the A380 to Heathrow, BAA Heathrow Managing Director Tony Douglas added: “The A380 represents a new era in aviation history and we have spent £450 million at Heathrow to ensure we are ready for it. Building our new £105 million Pier 6, which has four stands for A380s, took talent, skill, planning and organisation from both young apprentices and senior managers.
“Pier 6 gives us all a wonderful glimpse of the future of Heathrow and an indication of how we hope to transform Heathrow over the coming years. T5, which will open on 30 March 2008, will not only provide a world class passenger experience but also create a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform Heathrow into an airport we can all be proud of.”
Airlines planning to operate the A380 at Heathrow include the first to begin scheduled service – Singapore Airlines – for whom deliveries are scheduled before year-end; as well as Air France, Emirates, Etihad, Lufthansa, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
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