China's - Orient Aviation

COVER STORYSIA sets the barhigh for the A380Singapore Airlines contributed significantly to the A380’s design specifications. “Inparticular, we helped define the targets for payload and range and for improvementsin unit operating costs over what for the last 30 years has been the largest commercialaircraft available,” said SIA chief executive, Chew Choon Seng.“SIA also helped set targets for fuel efficiency and thus reduction in emissions and forreduction of noise generated during take-off and landing. The standards we demanded werethe most stringent required by airports located near heavily populated areas.”The airline prepared meticulously for the A380’s entry into service. Every aspect ofthe aircraft’s operations – engineering, catering, cargo, baggage loading and unloading,passenger embarkation and disembarkation, flying operations together with customerservice on board – has been redesigned to accommodate the extra passenger capacity,while maintaining operating efficiency.• Chew disclosed for the first time where its A380s will fly following the inaugural dailyservice to Sydney. SIA will take delivery of two more A380s early next year and those willoperate daily services to London, meaning there will be A380 operations along the lengthof the traditional Kangaroo Route between Australia and Europe.The fourth aircraft will arrive in April and from May begin daily services to Tokyo. The fifthand sixth aircraft will fly daily on the Singapore-Hong-Kong-San Francisco route.Singapore Changi International Airport’s new Terminal 3Changi: ready and waitingThere was never any doubt that Singapore Changi International Airport wouldbe well prepared for the first Singapore Airlines A380 commercial flight lastmonth on its inaugural service to Sydney.The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore’s (CAAS) airport planning division beganmaking preparation for the double-deck jet in the late 1990s. “The team, comprisingsome 10 technical staff representing different fields of expertise, worked closely withother airport counterparts, such as those in apron control and management, airfieldlighting, ground handlers, airlines, pilots and the aircraft manufacturer, in preparingChangi to receive the A380,” said Koh Ming Sue, deputy director for engineering andreal estate development of the CAAS, which operates the facility.“CAAS has followed the original timeline for the A380’s entry into service. ChangiAirport has been A380-ready since November 2005 [when the A380 first visitedSingapore].”The airport’s new US$1.2 billion Terminal 3 will open on January 9. It will extendthe capacity of Changi airport by 22 million passengers a year to 70 million.Terminal 3 will add another 28 aerobridges, eight of them designed to handle theA380. Changi will have 19 gates in its three terminals A380 capable, including havingdirect aerobridge access to both decks of the aircraft.Capt. Robert Ting, SIA’s chief A380pilot: no shortage of applicants forA380 pilot trainingCapt. Tingmakes historyCaptain Robert Ting, chiefA380 pilot for SingaporeAirlines, became part ofaviation history on October25 when he piloted the firstcommercial A380 flight between Singaporeand Sydney, writes Tom Ballantyne.Eight days earlier he had flown the planeon its delivery flight between Toulouse andSingapore.The 56-year-old pilot, who has beenflying for 36 years and has 15,000 hours inhis flying log, described the experience as“a great honour. I feel I have been blessedby God”.Ting joined SIA in 1971 and is licensedto fly eight different types of aircraft. He hasspent 21 years as an instructor and 14 yearsas a management pilot.Capt. Ting said flying the behemothwas no different to flying any other bigcommercial jet. “Although it is biggerand heavier ... the aeroplane’s response isfantastic. It is very agile,” he said.Capt. Ting said SIA had 40 pilots qualifiedto fly the A380 or under training in Toulouse.They are using one of the Airbus A380 testaircraft for conversion training.When the airline’s second A380 arrivesearly next year, it will be utilized to help withthe training programme. SIA also has its ownA380 simulator in Singapore.He said there was no shortage of applicantswithin the airline to fly the A380.18 ORIENT AVIATION NOVEMBER 2007