Airbus rolls out A380 in ‘test flight’ to Clark

With a height of 79 feet which is equivalent to an eight-storey building and a wingspan of nearly 262 feet which is almost the size of a football field – the double-decker Airbus A380 is simply the largest commercial passenger jet ever built.
And air travel will never be the same since the advent of the now-dwarfed Boeing 747s. The double-decker A380 can accommodate 800 passengers.
On October 12, the sprawling Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) welcomed the “route proving flight” of Airbus’ A380 MSN009 test aircraft and for four hours the largest aircraft in the world will be serviced by the relatively new airport which is being poised to become the future premier international gateway of the Philippines.
DMIA with its two 3.2-kilometer parallel runways had accommodated several large aircraft in the world such as the US’ C-17 “Starlifter” and the Russian-made Antonov “Condor” 124. The arrival of A380 will prove once again that DMIA could accommodate the new generation of large aircraft such as A380.
The A380 test flight left Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France for a journey that will take it to Dubai, UAE; Melbourne, Australia; and on to Manila. It arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last October 11 and proceeded to DMIA on the next day.
Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) President and CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano said the A380 test flight arrived at 11:40 in the morning at DMIA and will park at the airport’s Bay 9 in front of the CIAC Corporate Headquarters.
Luciano said the 41 French crew onboard were welcomed by CIAC officials and a few selected visitors will have the chance to take a closer view of the aircraft’s interior for an hour. The public also viewed the A380 for free on a designated viewing area.
The arrival of the A380 will prove the viability of DMIA as a future premier gateway of the Philippines, according to Luciano.
The A380 will conduct the trans-Pacific flight as if it were a commercial flight and while at airports in Dubai. Melbourne, NAIA and DMIA will test airfield maneuvering, docking, ground handling services and fueling to determine its compatibility with various airports in the world.
“This is important to CIAC and DMIA because it prepositioned the Clark airport to be a viable alternative airport and eventually the future premier gateway of the Philippines,” said Luciano.
DMIA is expected to play an important role in the development of a megalogistics hub and services which is envisioned by President Gloria Arroyo.