Archive for the ‘Qantas’ Category

A380 Production Update: March 2010 (#3)

2010, 2011, Air France, China Southern, Convoy, Emirates, Final Assembly Hall, Hamburg, Lufthansa, MSN042, MSN043, MSN047, MSN048, MSN051, MSN052, MSN064, MSN066, MSN071, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Mar 08 2010

Convoy #4/2010 has arrived in Toulouse bringing a Center and Rear Fuselage for MSN071 (Singapore Airlines #14). A tail plane, also for MSN071 arrived with the convoy.

Convoy #4 also carried a Forward Fuselage and a Wing Pair for MSN064 (Air France #6).


This is a surprise to us as MSN066 (Lufthansa #6) and MSN031 (China Southern #1) were both scheduled to be convoyed ahead of MSN064.

In other A380 news, the roll out of MSN047 (Qantas #07), MSN048 (Lufthansa #4) and MSN052 (Air France #5) has been delayed into this week.

Several spotters have reported that MSN042 (Emirates #13) is on the flightline. We cannot confirm or deny this at this stage.

MSN043 (Air France #3) will begin cabin test flights in Hamburg this week. MSN043 is currently scheduled to be delivered later in the month.

MSN051 (Singapore Airlines #11) will also start cabin test flights soon. Test flights will probably start late this week or early next week.

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A380 Production Update: March 2010 (#2)

2010, 2011, Convoy, MSN047, MSN050, Qantas, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Mar 05 2010

The roll out of MSN047 (Qantas #7) has been delayed from Friday to Monday. The course of the delay is unknown.

MSN050 (Qantas #9) has been scheduled for a roll out in the last week of March. Delivery of MSN050 will be in January 2011.


Convoy #4/2010 has started and is currently enroute to Toulouse. The convoy will arrive early next week.

Image Courtesy of Marc Schieferdecker

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A380 Production Update: March 2010 (#1)

2010, 2011, Air France, China Southern, Convoy, Emirates, Final Assembly Hall, Hamburg, Korean Air, Lufthansa, MSN002, MSN009, MSN028, MSN030, MSN031, MSN035, MSN038, MSN041, MSN042, MSN043, MSN044, MSN046, MSN047, MSN048, MSN049, MSN050, MSN051, MSN052, MSN055, MSN056, MSN057, MSN058, MSN061, MSN062, MSN065, MSN066, MSN069, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Mar 01 2010

March is here (Already) so we thought it would be a good idea to give you an overview of the current production line. So here it is…

Toulouse Production:
MSN002 (Private) – Currently in Refitting Hangar.
MSN042 (Emirates #13) – In Second Second Stage of Final Assembly and is Scheduled to Be Rolled Out in late March.
MSN047 (Qantas #7) – Engines Have Been Re Installed and Should Roll Out this week.
MSN048 (Lufthansa #4) – Completed and will be Rolled Out this week.
MSN050 (Qantas #8) – Being Stored in a Flightline Hangar until May.
MSN052 (Air France #5) – Completed and will be Rolled Out this week.
MSN055 (Qantas #9) – First Stage of Final Assembly. Parts of Final Assembly Will be done in a Flightline Hangar.
MSN056 (Emirates #14) – Second Stage of Final Assembly.
MSN057 (Emirates #15) – Waiting for slot in Second Stage of Final Assembly.
MSN058 (Singapore Airlines #12) – Waiting for Slot in First Stage of Final Assembly.
MSN061 (Lufthansa #5) – First Stage of Final Assembly.
MSN062 (Qantas #10) – First Stage of Final Assembly.
MSN065 (Singapore Airlines #13) – Body Join has Begun and is Scheduled to take 10 days.

Hamburg Production:
MSN009 (Emirates #9) – Delivery Scheduled for May.
MSN028 (Emirates #10) – Delivery Scheduled for June.
MSN030 (Emirates #11) – Delivery Scheduled for July.
MSN038 (Lufthansa #1) – Delivery Scheduled for 10th May.
MSN041 (Lufthansa #2) – Delivery Scheduled for June.
MSN043 (Air France #3) – Delivery Scheduled for April.
MSN044 (Lufthansa #3) – Delivery Scheduled for Q3 2010.
MSN046 (Emirates #12) – Delivery Scheduled for August.
MSN049 (AIr France #4) – Delivery Scheduled for Q3 2010,
MSN051 (Singapore Airlines #11) – Delivery Scheduled for Late March.

Convoy’s:
The next new frames to be Convoyed to Toulouse are scheduled to be.
MSN031 (China Southern #1)
MSN066 (Lufthansa #6)
MSN069 (Lufthansa #7)
MSN035 (Korean Air #1)

First Stage of Final Assembly = Installation of Electronic Components that Control the Aircraft and Installation of Fuel Tanks.

Second Stage of Final Assembly = Installation of Engines, Belly Fairing and all other Facilities in and outside the Aircraft.

Roll Out = Moved from the Final Assembly Line to the Flightline.

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A380 Production Update: February 2010 (#13)

2010, 2011, Air France, Final Assembly Hall, First Flight, Lufthansa, MSN002, MSN047, MSN048, MSN049, MSN050, MSN052, Qantas, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Feb 28 2010

MSN049 (Air France #4) was transferred to Hamburg for Outfitting at the end of last week. MSN049 has quite a wait ahead, as there are no slots for Outfitting at the moment and wont be for a few weeks.

Last week we got an email with some very useful information in it. The email contained dates of notice in the A380 production line, and this week will be a big week.

We will see the roll out of MSN047 (Qantas #7), MSN048 (Lufthansa #4) and MSN052 (Air France #5). MSN047 will be transferred to Hamburg in the last week of March. First flight dates for MSN048 and MSN052 have not been announced yet.

MSN050 (Qantas #8) will be rolled out in April and be transferred to Hamburg for Outfitting in May.

MSN002 (Private) will be rolled out of the refitting hangars in late June/July. MSN002 will be delivered in August.

Image Courtesy of YPSpotter.

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A380 Production Update: February 2010 (#12)

2010, 2011, Air France, First Flight, Hamburg, MSN047, MSN049, Qantas, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Feb 24 2010

MSN049 (Air France #4) performed it’s first flight on the 22nd February.


It is unknown if MSN049 will be transferred to Hamburg in the next few days, as there are already nine A380s in Hamburg and with only six slots for Outfitting MSN049 may have to wait a while.

MSN047 (Qantas #7) had it’s #1 and #4 engine reinstalled late last week and should have it’s #2 and #3 engine installed this week. MSN047 made it’s first flight in August last year and was put in storage in Toulouse (Request from Qantas). It is currently scheduled to restart flight testing in late March.

Image Copyright to Schiefi

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A380 Production Update: February 2010 (#7)

2010, Air France, Emirates, Final Assembly Hall, Hamburg, Lufthansa, MSN030, MSN041, MSN042, MSN044, MSN046, MSN047, MSN048, MSN049, MSN050, MSN052, MSN056, MSN057, Qantas, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Feb 15 2010

MSN057 (Emirates #15) has finished it’s first part of Final Assembly which included having The flaps installed, Some Belly Fairing, the APU and many “Under the Hood” parts.

MSN057 is currently sitting on the flightline waiting to switch spaces with MSN048 (Lufthansa #4). MSN048 should be rolled out of the Final Assembly Line late this week.

The final parts for MSN057 arrived in Toulouse on the 12th November and has only taken 92 days to get to this stage. This is a dramatic increase in time for Body Join and the first stages of Final Assembly.

This also means the production in Toulouse is speeding up but over in Hamburg, Outfitting is staying very much the same.

We expect by late April that MSN042 (Emirates), MSN047 (Qantas), MSN050 (Qantas), MSN052 (Air France) and possibly MSN056 (Emirates) to be completed.

But at the same time all the Outfitting slots in Hamburg will be already be occupied by…

MSN030 (Emirates), MSN041 (Lufthansa), MSN044 (Lufthansa), MSN046 (Emirates) MSN048 (Lufthansa) and MSN049 (Air France).

This means that Outfitting must be dramatically increased to get the twenty odd scheduled A380s for 2010 delivery to actually being delivered this year.

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A380 Production Update: January 2010 (#13)

2010, Emirates, First Flight, MSN046, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Jan 30 2010

MSN046 (Emirates #12) has made it’s first flight from Toulouse, France. MSN046 is scheduled for delivery with Emirates in August 2010.

January marked the first time that three A380s made there firsts flights in the same month. So it looks like Airbus is picking up the pace.

Emirates announced this week that by early April the airline will be using the A380 on one of it’s three daily services to Melbourne, Australia.

Two airlines already fly the A380 to Melbourne (Singapore Airlines – Daily, Qantas – 5 weekly – Increasing to daily by the end of 2010) and now with Emirates starting up flights this puts Melbourne in the same place as Sydney (In terms of A380 flights).

Image Courtesy of David Barrie

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A380 Production Update: January 2010 (#4)

2010, Convoy, Emirates, Hamburg, Korean Air, Lufthansa, MSN025, MSN029, MSN035, MSN044, MSN058, MSN062, Qantas, Singapore Airlines | Posted by FabienA380
Jan 13 2010

Well a few news today, however without any new picture, we’re still looking for pictures of MSN044 (Lufthansa #3) rolled out lately, we’ll post them as soon as possible.

MSN025 Emirates #8 will now be delivered from XFW on Monday 18th, MSN025 will be the 25th A380 delivered in total, the 2nd A380 delivered in 2010, and the 6000th Airbus delivery.

Yesterday did start the first convoy of 2010, composed of all remaining pieces of MSN062 (Qantas #10) and the Forward Fuselage of a new MSN number which will be either MSN058 (Singapore Airlines #12) or MSN035 (Korean Air #1). We’ll post as soon as we know the new MSN number.

MSN029 had been delayed from leaving TLS and is right now flying to Sydney, it is supposed to arrive in Sydney on Wednesday 13 at 8.45am.

We’re a little disappointed by Airbus official statements today, which didn’t clearly state anything about A380 deliveries in 2010, except ‘more than 20 deliveries’, which is not new.

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A380 Production Update: January 2010 (#3)

2010, Emirates, Final Assembly Hall, First Flight, Hamburg, Lufthansa, MSN025, MSN029, MSN030, MSN044, MSN046, Qantas, Toulouse | Posted by FabienA380
Jan 10 2010

MSN029 Qantas #6 has finally been delivered to Qantas on Friday 08/01/2010 but will eventually take off from TLS to SYD on Sunday at around 1pm local time. MSN 029 is the 24th A380 delivered, here is she taxiing in TLS last December.

The next A380 to be delivered will be MSN025 Emirates #8 next Friday, it will be by coincidence the 25th A380 delivered. MSN025 is still currently operating Flight Testings in XFW.

MSN061 Lufthansa #5 has now finished Body Join and is awaiting a spot in the Final Assembly Line, MSN055 Qantas #10 has taken place into the Body Join tool.

Unfortunately we still don’t have any picture of MSN044 Lufthansa #3 lately rolled out, as soon as we find any we will post it.

Another picture here of MSN030 Emirates #11 commencing her taxi tests. As mentionned by Oliver, MSN030 should fly within two weeks and should be closely followed by MSN046 Emirates #12.

We are also much expecting Airbus’ Annual Press Conference 2010 which will be held on Tuesday (12/01/2010), and will provide details on activities, prospects of the compagny in 2010. We should get precious pieces of information about production of A380s in 2010.

Images are Copyright and Courtesy of Terence Li and Clement R.

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A380 Production Update: January 2010 (#2)

2010, Air France, Emirates, Final Assembly Hall, First Flight, Lufthansa, MSN029, MSN030, MSN040, MSN041, MSN044, Qantas, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Jan 08 2010

MSN030 (Emirates #11) has finally started taxi tests after 12 weeks on the flightline. It will have its first flight sometime in the next two weeks.

MSN041 (Lufthansa #2) has been joined by MSN044 (Lufthansa #3). This is the first time that two Lufthansa A380s have been together on the flightline. Both MSN041 and MSN044 should fly in late January or early February.

MSN029 (Qantas #6) will be finally delivered today and will arrive in Sydney on Sunday night (AEST). MSN029 is the first delivery for 2010.

In Hamburg MSN040 (Air France #2) is back on the flightline and is now beginning final preparations for delivery in February.

I will be away from the blog from the 9th till the 15th January, So our forum Moderator (FabienA380) will be writing on the blog.

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