A380: the countdown is on - Orient Aviation

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our airplane would have got <strong>the</strong> lion’s
share. We were stunned to d<strong>is</strong>cover that
we are getting <strong>the</strong> entire market.”
Airbus, in fact, started thinking of
building its own giant passenger aircraft
in <strong>the</strong> late 1980s and formed <strong>the</strong> A3XX
Integrated Team in 1993. By <strong>the</strong>n it was
also working with Boeing on a joint study
into a Very Large Commercial Transport
(VLCT) with German aviation engineer,
Jurgen Thomas, as European project
director.
It’s an unthinkable combination
today, but 10 years ago both companies
were keen to pool <strong>the</strong>ir ideas on <strong>the</strong>
development of a plane larger than <strong>the</strong>
B747 – an idea Boeing says it has now
d<strong>is</strong>m<strong>is</strong>sed as unwarranted. Inevitably,
<strong>the</strong>re were problems.
“We had to exclude many areas
in which we were not allowed to
exchange information. It was very difficult,”
said Thomas.
“It was very dangerous, especially dealing
with <strong>the</strong> [United] States with its trade
perm<strong>is</strong>sions and accusations of price fixing.”
Thomas went on to run Airbus’s large
aircraft div<strong>is</strong>ion and to develop what
became <strong>the</strong> <strong>A380</strong>. Jarry joined him as head
of market development.
“Today I am convinced that 550 seats
<strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> biggest aircraft you should do in a
conventional configuration,” said Thomas.
“Something bigger doesn’t make sense
from <strong>the</strong> laws of pure physics. I’m not
concerned that we will be leapfrogged some
day by a bigger aircraft, at least not in such
a configuration.
“The aircraft had been designed to be
stretched by ano<strong>the</strong>r 100 seats. All <strong>the</strong>
precautions have been taken. The engine
contracts provide for thrust growth. The
undercarriage can be extended by ano<strong>the</strong>r
two wheels. We chose a very big wing. The
fuel capacity <strong>is</strong> available.”
Some 40% of <strong>the</strong> <strong>A380</strong> <strong>is</strong> manufactured
from <strong>the</strong> latest generation of carbon
composites and advanced metallic materials
which are lighter and more reliable than
<strong>the</strong>ir predecessors.
GLARE, a laminate alternating layers
of aluminium and glass-fibre reinforced
adhesive, has been used on <strong>the</strong> upper
fuselage shell. Airbus says it <strong>is</strong> superior
in terms of fatigue, corrosion and fire
res<strong>is</strong>tance.
The <strong>A380</strong>’s hydraulic systems use 5,000
pounds per square inch (psi) pressure,
instead of <strong>the</strong> usual 3,000 psi, allowing
In May 2000 Emirates Airline was <strong>the</strong> first carrier to commit to what was <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>
A3XX. Pictured at <strong>the</strong> announcement <strong>is</strong> Emirates chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed
Al-Maktoum and Airbus chief executive, Noel Forgeard.
power to be transmitted through smaller
piping and components, thus saving weight.
O<strong>the</strong>r major innovations include superior
separation of flight controls systems, redesigned
air generation methods and, on
<strong>the</strong> processes side, laser beam welding to
attach <strong>the</strong> stringers to <strong>the</strong> lower fuselage
skin instead of using rivets.
“These things did not come overnight,”
said Thomas. “It was over years. Each had
a different process of validation. First, was
it technically reliable? Then, what was <strong>the</strong>
cost situation, what was airline acceptance,
what was <strong>the</strong> reparability?”
‘ Today, I am convinced that 550
seats <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> biggest aircraft
you should do in a conventional
configuration’
Jurgen Thomas
Former A3XX project director and now
special adv<strong>is</strong>or to chief executive Forgeard
6 ORIENT AVIATION / <strong>A380</strong> Quarterly Update DECEMBER 2004-FEBRUARY 2005
There were more basic questions to be
answered. “Is such an aircraft feasible, or
<strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong>re a showstopper? Are <strong>the</strong> airports
a showstopper, or <strong>the</strong> certification? Is
such an aircraft controllable? Its inertia <strong>is</strong>
tremendous.”
Philippe Jarry, <strong>the</strong>n head of marketing
for Airbus, was busy assessing <strong>the</strong> market
and also assembling a group of airlines who
could spell out what <strong>the</strong>y wanted. “I said,
I think we have to recruit <strong>the</strong> elite club of
<strong>the</strong> 747 operators. We need to work with
<strong>the</strong>se guys. They know <strong>the</strong> 747. They love
<strong>the</strong> 747. There are plenty of good reasons
to love <strong>the</strong> 747, but maybe <strong>the</strong>re are plenty
of good reasons for <strong>the</strong>m to be tired of <strong>the</strong>
747,” he said.
Jarry spread h<strong>is</strong> net wide, taking in
airlines from Asia, America, Europe, <strong>the</strong>
Middle East and <strong>the</strong> Pacific, finding h<strong>is</strong>
invitations accepted by many of h<strong>is</strong> targets.
Many meetings followed, as did a variety of
preferences from h<strong>is</strong> potential customers.
“Two wanted a combi. O<strong>the</strong>r airlines
didn’t want to hear about a combi. Some
wanted a freighter variant. Some wanted
a passenger variant with extreme range.
Everyone wanted to have h<strong>is</strong> own variant
first,” he said.
Finally, <strong>the</strong> airlines appeared to be
ready. With only six letters of interest in h<strong>is</strong>
pocket, chief executive Noel Forgeard went
to <strong>the</strong> Airbus board and was given approval
in December 2000 for an official <strong>A380</strong>
programme launch two months later.
With that dec<strong>is</strong>ion came <strong>the</strong> rapid expansion
of production facilities in Toulouse and
<strong>the</strong> piecing toge<strong>the</strong>r of <strong>the</strong> sub-assembly