Overdue Airbus giant to make a flying visit to Hong Kong
Hong Kong aviation enthusiasts will get their first glimpse of Airbus' giant new A380 aircraft next month when it flies into Chek Lap Kok on its second scheduled operating test of Asian airports.
The A380 - the first commercial delivery of which Airbus said yesterday would be delayed a further 10 months to next October - is to arrive on November 18. It will also make stops at Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
'It is destined to be a landmark opportunity to show off both the newest member of Airbus' family and Hong Kong's 21st century infrastructure,' said Martin Craigs, president of Aerospace Forum Asia.
Mr Craigs said Airbus had been invited to bring the aircraft for public viewing - after a harbour flyover - at Hong Kong's inaugural Asian Aerospace Expo and Congress in September, a month before Singapore Airlines (SIA) is now expected to take delivery of the first A380.
The world's largest passenger aircraft will be at the airport for about 24 hours as it tests the compatibility of ramp-handling equipment, passenger gates and cargo-related infrastructure.
Airbus, plagued by wiring and software problems believed to be in part associated with the advanced in-flight entertainment systems, warned investors yesterday to expect an aggregate earnings shortfall of Euro4.8 billion (HK$47 billion) to 2010 as it wrestled with delivery delays for the A380.