Why the big bird gave B’lore the skip

Why the big bird gave B’lore the skip
By C S Hemanth, DH News Service, Bangalore:
Bangaloreans can consider themselves a bit unlucky not to have seen the world's largest passenger aircraft, Airbus A380, going through its paces.

The sight of the world's largest passenger aircraft, Airbus A380, soaring over the clear blue skies before making its maiden landing on Indian soil might have thrilled aircraft lovers around the country. But, Bangaloreans can consider themselves a bit unlucky not to have seen the mammoth aircraft going through its paces.

Reason: It could not make a stopover at the 'Aviation hub of India' as the runways at the City airport are just not up to handling the 855-seater jet. This is not the first time that Bangaloreans have lost an opportunity to see the aircraft ‘live’. Earlier this year, Airbus as part of its global promotional tour had planned to bring the aircraft to the City during the AeroIndia - 2007 but had to shelve its plan, thanks to the ‘deficiencies’ of the runway at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka (the venue of the event).

However, this could change next year (that is, if the organisers plan to bring in the mammoth jet to the City) when the Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli commences flight operations. The runways at the new airport would be ‘big’ enough to handle aircraft of that size.

The airport, which will be thrown open to traffic in April 2008, will have a 4000-metre runway which is 60 metres wide, including shoulders.

“The runway will be 45 metres wide, but with additional 15 metres space on both sides, which is good enough to handle Boeing 747 aircraft and also the A380s,” said a Bangalore International Airport Ltd official. However, for one to see regular commercial A-380 take-offs and landings, one will have to wait for Kingfisher Airlines’ five A380 aircraft which are due to arrive by 2011-12.



The City connection

Software major Infosys had worked on the design and development of the top and bottom skin extensions within the inner fixed trailing edge for the A380, apart from playing a key role in developing the tools and processes for its product life cycle management.