Iqaluit International airport in northern Canada is in discussions with Airbus over the possibility of cold weather trials of the A380 being carried out there. Preliminary talks have been held and David Simailak, minister for transportation for Nunavut, where Iqaluit is located, is at Le Bourget to meet Airbus.
"Iqaluit is positioning itself as a primary centre for cold weather testing for fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft," says aviation planner Robert Rennert, who is acting as a consultant to the airport.
Iqaluit, originally built for military use, has a 2,745m (9,000ft) long and 61m wide runway, together with 150,000m2 of apron. Rennert adds that mean daily temperatures are the coldest of any airport of its kind the world, and it features powerful cross winds.
John Graham, the airport's director, says the airport is also located on the Great Circle Route for aircraft flying between western North America and Europe.
Source: Flight Daily News