Airbus A380 in Hong Kong Harbour Overfly

Heralding the start of the Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress 2007, Airbus’ flagship A380 aircraft wowed international visitors and Hong Kong residents early this Monday with an impressive fly pass over Victoria Harbour.

Piloted by Airbus Test Pilot, Captain Terry Lutz and Pilot Christophe Cail, the cabin-fitted A380 MSN007 travelled from Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok airport overflying the Tsing Ma Bridge before positioning through the Victoria Harbour and tracking around the south of Hong Kong Island and Lantau Island before returning to the airport where it will be present during part of the show.

Being greener, cleaner, quieter and smarter, the A380 is already setting new standards for transport and the environment. According to Airbus, per passenger, the A380 has an unmatched fuel efficiency of less than three litres per 100 kilometres. The advanced materials and systems on the A380, together with the state of the art aerodynamics and all new engines (from Rolls Royce and from the Engine Alliance) result in better economics and higher operational flexibility with seat-mile costs around 20% lower and range over 1,000 nautical miles longer than the largest aircraft flying today.

To date, the Airbus A380 visited more than 50 airports around the world. By 2011, more than 70 airports will be ready for A380 operations.

Total orders and commitments for the A380 currently stand at 173 from 14 customers. The first production A380 will be delivered to Singapore Airlines on 15th October with the First Commercial A380 Flight to take place 25 October. Subsequent aircraft, for delivery to Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qantas are also believed to be on track.

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