Emirates to Receive First Airbus A380 on Monday

WAM (Courtesy – Gulf News) Published: July 26, 2008, 23:24

Dubai: Emirates airline will receive the first flagship Airbus superjumbo, the A380, in Hamburg on Monday, in the presence of Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman and managing director of Emirates Group. Emirates airline is the largest client for the world's biggest commercial aircraft, with 58 planes on order. The aircraft has the capacity to accommodate 800 passengers. Shaikh Ahmad said: "With its huge capacity, the Airbus A380 will play a pivotal role in the growth of Emirates airline. Since the inception of the A380 production programme in 2000, we cooperated in all phases with Airbus until it becomes a reality. It is a plane for the future." July 28 will also be an historical day for the city of Hamburg as 12,000 workers from the German city contributed to the construction and interior fittings of the superjumbo over the last 10 years. Commenting on the significance of the upcoming delivery for the Hamburg metropolitan area, Axel Gedaschko Minister for Economic and Labour Affairs, Hamburg, said: "The decision to significantly involve the Hamburg metropolitan area in the construction of the world's largest commercial airliner resulted in its growth as a successful location for aviation. "Thousands of employees at Airbus and suppliers in the Hamburg metropolitan area worked had to produce the partly extra-large parts for the giant bird just in time, to outfit them, and to customise the cabin interior according to the airlines' needs. Hamburg once again underlined its role as a centre of competence for cabin interiors." Lufthansa Technik playing a significant role in the development of cabin fittings and interior aircraft systems on the A380. "Lufthansa Technik has accompanied the aircraft's development and significantly shaped it through its engineering expertise. Today, we are ready to take over the entire maintenance, repair and overhaul service for this aircraft," said Wilhelm Henningsen, chairman of Lufthansa Technik. With more than four million inhabitants, the Hamburg metropolitan area has developed into a key economic stronghold in Europe. Last year, the city's gross domestic product reached over 85 billion euros, up 3.9 per cent from last year (Courtesy – Gulf News)