Superjumbo welcome at Suvarnabhumi! 380 wing tip scrab to the hangar!

[Guest tornadof36]

  Moikka,

 

En tiedä onko tämä jo ollut täällä, mutta nyt on:

 

Superjumbo welcome at Suvarnabhumi

 

New Agencies

 

Human error caused the Airbus 380 wing tip to scrape a hangar gate last Saturday, said the president of Thai Airways International. The facilities at Suvarnabhumi airport are totally suited for the superjumbo airliner.

 

The plane's left wing suffered minor damage that delayed its planned demonstration flight to the northern city of Chiang Mai from Suvarnabhumi airport.

 

THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press that there was a "miscommunication" between ground staffers when a truck was used to tow the Airbus _ parked outside a hangar _ before it headed to a taxiway to prepare for takeoff.

 

There had initially been speculation that the accident occurred because the facilities at Suvarnabhumi could not accommodate an A380, the world's largest passenger jet, but Apinan dismissed the idea.

 

Thai Airways has ordered six A380s, which are expected to be delivered in 2010.

 

"The hangar was designed (specifically) for the A380," he said. "We do not need to adjust the accommodation but will have to train the staff be more cautious when handling the plane at the hangar."

 

A Singapore-based independent aviation expert, Richard Pinkham, said an incident is common in any airport.

 

"The tarmac of a major airport can be an almost chaotic place and an aircraft can clip the wing of another plane or run into stationary equipment anywhere. The situation could be compounded by the airport staff not being familiar with the aircraft," said Pinkham, Southeast Asian regional director for the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation.

 

Since opening in September last year, $3.8 billion Suvarnabhumi - intended to be Southeast Asia's leading air transportation hub - has been plagued by a host of widely publicised problems, including cracks in taxiways, a shortage of toilets, dozens of design flaws and a long list of corruption allegations.

 

In Saturday's mishap, the plane's left winglet was damaged, and engineers removed both the winglets before the delayed flight took off for Chiang Mai. A winglet tips up and back from the end of a wing, improving aerodynamic efficiency, but is not essential.

 

From Bangkok the plane went to Hanoi, and then to Hong Kong, where it was displayed for an air show Monday.

 

Airbus Chief Commercial Officer John Leahy said at a press conference at the air show that a new set of winglets had been shipped to Hong Kong and were to be installed before another demonstration flight today.

 

Leahy said that the plane was being towed with its engines shut off when the accident occurred in Thailand and that the plane's pilots weren't to blame.

 

The plane will fly to South Korea on Wednesday to complete its Asian tour, and then return to Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France.

 

In a press release last month, Airbus said its demonstration tours are meant to help prepare the A380 "for a smooth entry into service."

 

"Operating under typical airline conditions, (the) aircraft will undergo airport compatibility checks, ground handling and maintenance procedures to confirm its readiness to enter service," the company said.

 

Airbus has said 14 customers have either placed orders for or have committed to buying 173 A380s, with clients including Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Qantas and Thai Airways International.

 

Airbus is scheduled to deliver its first A380 to Singapore Airlines on Oct 15, a delay of more than a year due to production problems.

 

 

-Jukka 8)