FRAcitement A380 Style

     Old-fashioned airport excitement as the newest and biggest transport aircraft in the world arrives at Frankfurt, landing on Runway North (25R) at 08:56 local time Saturday October 29.
     The Airbus A380 dropped in on Fraport after a flight from Toulouse, for the aircraft’s first practical ground-handling tests at an operating commercial airport.
     On the ground for less than 24 hours, a big, enthusiastic turnout greeted the Airbus including local politicians, airport dignitaries, and ordinary folks who celebrated the landmark arrival together.
     Pictured near the big aircraft is Dr. Wilhelm Bender, Chairman of the Board Fraport, with Roland Koch, Prime Minister of the State of Hesse.
     Meantime Prof. Dr. Manfred Schoelch, Fraport Deputy Chairman (lower picture) celebrates the arrival with staff.
     Mrs. Annegret Reinhard Lehmann, Fraport Marketing Director made the event a kid’s day too, with her little crowd.
     Looking at those faces, it is not hard to imagine that one day as people routinely fly further, higher and faster, these children as adults will remember A380 as a quaint form of air travel.
     But this day in Frankfurt, future possibilities aboard A380 seem endless.
     A380 made the visit to FRA a brief encounter departing the airport on Sunday with a fly-over soaring above the city at only about 1,500 meters as the Annual Frankfurt Marathon got underway.
     Initial handling tests at FRA with the A380 ran smoothly, Fraport officials told FlyingTypers.
     Airbus said it chose Frankfurt Airport for practical ground handling tests because the airport is well advanced to handle the jumbo aircraft.
     Tests at Frankfurt Airport's Terminal 2 included: docking a passenger bridge to the upper deck of the Airbus A380 for the very first time; providing catering supplies to this section of the aircraft, using special lift trucks; providing the full range of supply and disposal services as well as de-icing.
     Dr. Bender said:
     “Both Airbus and Fraport are delighted with the results."
     Next up for the world’s newest and largest airliner, is an A380 flight to Singapore and onto Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane during the first half of November. The pioneering super jumbo will then appear in The United Arab Emirates, the place that made the airplane commercially viable, when Emirates became the first customer for A380, and to date far and away the largest, with 45 of the type on order. A380 will be on display as star attraction at the Dubai Air Show November 20-24.
(GFM)