Aircraft

Airbus A380 customer airlines are struggling to convince some secondary airports to become emergency diversion destinations, according to an Airbus consultancy that advises airlines preparing to introduce the ultra-large airliner.

Hamburg-based Airbus subsidiary CIMPA Aviation Consulting, which works closely with Airbus’s dedicated A380 airport readiness team, says its A380 airline customers are asking it to try to win over smaller airports that could potentially be used as diversion airports.

“We’ve defined ‘models of fitness’ for potential new A380 airport users, advising not only on hard core technical issues like changes to runways and taxiways but also on passenger comfort and boarding/deboarding and the level of investment that an airport needs to spend on attracting A380 operators,” says CIMPA. “Changes could involve minor things like additional emergency equipment and providing adequate transport to terminal areas,” it adds.

“The main problem is that the A380 customers want to offer the best service while the airport has to meet those aspirations with the most efficient investment in infrastructure and equipment,” says CIMPA.

It adds that while there are established major airports that are gearing up to handle the A380 “there are others who would like to take the A380 and more who have not considered the option but could be designated as an alternate”.

“The problem is that some potential alternate airports have currently no intention of receiving the A380 and it is the A380 airline operators which have the task to convince the airport that they should.”

CIMPA says that Lufthansa – which has ordered 15 A380s – has requested that it work with Hanover airport to assess how the airport’s infrastructure change programme could be adapted to allow the airport to be A380 ready when the airline launches A380 services in 2008. “Lufthansa has not been finding it that easy,” says CIMPA.

Lufthansa says it does not
currently intend to use Hanover as a diversion airport, but does plan to use Munich, Cologne, Leipzig and possibly Düsseldorf. The airline assisted Airbus in October when the A380 had its first compatibility tests at Frankfurt Main airport which will be used by the German carrier as a hub for the ultra large airliner.

Although it is the responsibility of A380 operators to decide which secondary airports they need to have available for diversions, Airbus says it is “working very closely with the airlines” on the issue. The manufacturer says any alternates capable of accepting Boeing 747s, 777-300ERs or A340-600s “can be used for A380 diversions”.

When A380 launch operator Singapore Airlines starts flying between Singapore and Europe there will be diversion airfields available “every 2-4h” along the route, Airbus says.

AIMEE TURNER / LONDON