These awesome photos are showing Airbus A380-861 MSN009 (F-WWEA) doing a spectacular, dust raising flight demonstration at FIDAE Airshow 2008, taking place in Santiago de Chile till April 6.
More pictures from FIDAE can be found at: Anfemabra’s Flickr Album & Nicotremus’ Flickr Album
Found via Yoove.net Flickr Tickr
Airbus has won two Crystal Cabin Awards at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany for two cabin system innovations it has developed.
Airbus’ Universal Wireless Backbone System won the award in the entertainment and communication category and it’s sustainable environmentally friendly fire suppression concept received the Judges Commendation Prize.
Universal Wireless Backbone System
Universal Wireless Backbone System (UWBS) is a single platform on which different wireless applications can be installed to offer a broad range of passenger services. UWBS will enable airlines to extend the range of wireless cabin services and is the only connectivity solution available for both new aircraft and as a retrofit. This innovative system is capable of using both current and future wireless communication standards. This means UWBS will bring cost savings for both the operations and maintenance of the aircraft.
For passengers the UWBS solution offers a very wide choice of services by enabling the use of multiple wireless connections, such as wireless LAN standards, mobile telephony or personal devices.
Airbus’ UWBS is based on a radio frequency (RF) combiner unit and “Leaky Line” antennas. The “leaky line” antenna is an innovative design by Airbus and is able to receive and transmit data, providing a uniform signal distribution throughout the cabin and guaranteeing highly reliable wireless communication links.
Sustainable environmentally friendly fire suppression concept
Today’s traditional fire suppression systems are based on halons. They offer a high fire suppression effectiveness in combination with low system weight and low complexity. However, in response to the negative impact of halons on the stratospheric ozone layer, Airbus has continuously replaced halon-based applications in the last years. However for certain applications – such as cargo bay fire protection – where safety-requirements are the highest, developing a halon-free substitution system posed many challenges.
The new Airbus solution offers a sustainable environmentally friendly concept that uses a waste product of a fuel cell system – its exhaust. Fuel cell systems, if operated with ambient air, produce nitrogen-enriched air that can be utilised to build up an inert fire suppressing atmosphere inside an aircraft cargo hold. The concept meets future regulatory requirements and reduces the impact of aviation on the environment.
Source: Airbus
Besides a new A350 XWB cabin concept, Airbus introduces a new galley concept, named “SPICE” at Aircraft Interiors Expo Hamburg (Germany). The SPICE (SPace Innovative Catering Equipment) galley concept is developed by Airbus and is the result of extensive investigation into the needs and requirements of the airline community. The benefits of the SPICE are so significant that Airbus believes the concept has the potential to become the first new industry-wide standard for galleys in over forty years.
SPICE replaces traditional catering trolleys with light-weight low-cost boxes, and foldable carts for service. A transfer table has been developed which enables better use of storage space at above the work surface, and enhances galley ergonomics. Furthermore, SPICE galley equipment will have one standard size, replacing the current wasteful jumble of different standard sizes.
These innovations combine together to improve aircraft efficiency by saving considerable weight and space in the aircraft cabin.
For example, the galley space saved due to the improved storage efficiency of SPICE could enable an airline to add from two to 11 seats in the cabin of a typical widebody aircraft. The weight savings of SPICE have been estimated to be between 10 and 20 per cent compared to current galley systems, which results in hundreds of kilograms per aircraft.
Since major studies show that over sixty percent of occupational injuries among cabin crew occur in the galley, ergonomic innovations are particularly important in improving the aircraft as a workplace. This was recognized by the industry in 2007 when the SPICE concept won the Crystal Cabin Award in the Comfort and Health category at last year’s Hamburg Aircraft Interiors Expo.
Another key benefit of the SPICE design is the addition of fully closed storage compartments. The doors of these compartments significantly improve the aesthetics of the galley in order to bring the level of design up to the same standard as other areas in the cabin. Additionally, the closed compartments are fully refrigerated which means that food can be kept fresher.
Airbus anticipates that from early next decade, the SPICE concept would be available for installation on newly delivered aircraft as well as for retrofit on the in-service fleet.
Watch the video at: http://www.airbus.com/
Source: Airbus
Images by Airbus
Austrian Airlines is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an Airbus A320-214 (OE-LBP) painted in retro color scheme.
AirAsia X, the new long-haul low cost-carrier within the AirAsia Group, has signed a firm contract for an additional 10 A330-300s, which brings the airline’s total order to 25 A330 aircraft. In June 2007, AirAsia X placed a first order to 15 A330s.
AirAsia X is currently operating its long-haul, low-cost service with leased A330s and these will be joined by the first of the newly ordered aircraft later this year. All the aircraft will be configured to seat 392 passengers in a single class layout.
Source: Airbus
Airbus will be present at the FIDAE Airshow 2008, the “Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio”, taking place in Santiago de Chile from 31st of March to 6th of April. On this occasion an A380 development aircraft will take part in the daily flying demonstrations and can also be viewed at the static display area throughout the week. The aircraft will arrive in Santiago de Chile on the 29th of March, landing for the first time on Chilean soil.
Visitors to the show will be able to find out more about the entire Airbus product line at the indoor stand of its parent company EADS, located in the main hall stand no E39 of the Exhibition Centre. The exhibit will feature scale models of the A380, the new long range wide-body A350 XWB, and the new A330-200 Freighter. Airbus executives will be present at the EADS chalet (row D 4-8).
Visit: http://www.fidae.cl for more information.
Source: Airbus
Singapore Airlines recently announced that Tokyo (Japan) will become the fourth city in the world to receive A380 commercial flights, starting services on 20 May 2008.
The inaugural A380 flight to Tokyo – SQ636 – will depart Singapore’s Changi Airport on Tuesday, 20 May 2008, at 0040hrs and arrive at Tokyo’s Narita Airport at 0830hrs (all times local), on a special schedule to coincide with the 30th anniversary celebrations of Narita Airport.
The return flight, SQ637, will depart Narita at 1300hrs on Tuesday, 20 May 2008. The aircraft will touch down at Changi Airport on the same day at 1905hrs.
Thereafter, the Singapore Airlines A380 will commence regular scheduled services, operating SQ638 daily on the Singapore-Tokyo sector from 20 May 2008, and on SQ637 for the return leg from 21 May 2008.
Those who wish to be part may purchase tickets via the Singapore Airlines website, singaporeair.com, or through their travel agents.
Customers who hold ticketed bookings on flights to be operated by the A380 will be automatically accommodated on the new aircraft without any change required to their tickets. Customers with bookings, but not yet ticketed, may need to check if there have been changes to their fares as a result of the aircraft change.
For schedule visit http://www.a380.singaporeair.com/content/news/newsrelease/20080314_tokyo/index.html
Today Singapore Airlines (SIA) started its A380 service between Singapore and London. A few hours ago, the inaugural flight SQ308 touched down for the first time at London Heathrow.
The aircraft will return to Singapore today, operating as SQ319, departing Heathrow at 18:55. (see schedule)
Watch this great video, featuring the landing of SQ308 and taxiing to the gate, greeted by a water canon salute!
Further videos:
Landing at London Heathrow from inside the A380:
Water canon greeting from inside the A380:
A380 pushback:
A380 leaving LHR:
CIT Aerospace, a leading global commercial finance company, has signed a firm contract for 15 A320 Family aircraft and 5 A330-200s.
Including the order announced by Airbus today, CIT has ordered a total of 189 Airbus aircraft (152 A320 Family aircraft, including five ACJs, 30 A330s and seven A350 XWBs) of which 93 are already delivered.
The President of Transportation Finance at CIT said: “As a global leader in the aircraft leasing market, CIT is proud to expand our fleet with these 20 new Airbus aircraft. We continue to see a growing demand from our customer base for more efficient aircraft similar to the Airbus A320 and A330 Family of aircraft. As a result of this demand we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to further enhance and diversify our fleet.”
Source: Airbus
The third production Airbus A380 (MSN006) was handed over to Singapore Airlines today. Equipped with four Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines, the third aircraft for the first A380 operator follows the delivery of the first A380 (MSN003) on 15th October 2007 and second delivery (MSN005) on 11th January 2008.
Singapore Airlines’ third A380 will join the two first aircraft which are being used on daily schedule service between Singapore and Sydney. With the arrival of the third aircraft, Singapore Airlines will begin operating the A380 on its route Singapore – London starting on 18th March.
Source: Airbus
