Updated:2006-12-12 16:49:19
Airbus' A380 Called Safe To Fly By U.S., Europe
By Laura Mandaro
Dow Jones
SAN FRANCISCO (Dec. 12) - U.S. and European safety authorities on Tuesday certified that Airbus' A380 aircraft, a superjumbo jet that can carry 850 people, is safe to fly commercial passengers.
In a ceremony at Airbus' facilities in Toulouse, France, the Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency awarded joint certification for the Airbus A380, said European aerospace and defense company EADS, which owns jet maker Airbus.
"The certificates we present today are a testament to the safety of this airplane," said Marion Blakey, FAA Administator, in a speech at the ceremony that was posted on the FAA's website.
The go-ahead from the two flight regulators, which had never before issued concurrent safety certificates, is another step to bringing the much-heralded superjumbo jet to the skies. After an initial flurry of advance orders for the A380, Airbus had been forced to delay manufacturing the plane because of wiring problems. These delays, and customers' apparent preference for smaller craft, has resulted in Airbus losing its edge over jetmaker rival Boeing (BA) in the race for aircraft orders.
On Tuesday, Airbus Chief Executive Louis Gallois called the approvals a "key milestone" for the A380 program and said that they provide "clear evidence of the technical soundness of the A380," according to the EADS statement.
Airbus has received 166 orders for the model so far, with the first to be delivered to Singapore Airlines in October.
Airbus ran its first flight test program in April 2005 and since then the model has flown over 2,600 hours in 800 flights, EADS said.
Copyright (C) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
12/12/2006 16:14 ET
Airbus' A380 Called Safe To Fly By U.S., Europe
By Laura Mandaro
Dow Jones
SAN FRANCISCO (Dec. 12) - U.S. and European safety authorities on Tuesday certified that Airbus' A380 aircraft, a superjumbo jet that can carry 850 people, is safe to fly commercial passengers.
In a ceremony at Airbus' facilities in Toulouse, France, the Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency awarded joint certification for the Airbus A380, said European aerospace and defense company EADS, which owns jet maker Airbus.
"The certificates we present today are a testament to the safety of this airplane," said Marion Blakey, FAA Administator, in a speech at the ceremony that was posted on the FAA's website.
The go-ahead from the two flight regulators, which had never before issued concurrent safety certificates, is another step to bringing the much-heralded superjumbo jet to the skies. After an initial flurry of advance orders for the A380, Airbus had been forced to delay manufacturing the plane because of wiring problems. These delays, and customers' apparent preference for smaller craft, has resulted in Airbus losing its edge over jetmaker rival Boeing (BA) in the race for aircraft orders.
On Tuesday, Airbus Chief Executive Louis Gallois called the approvals a "key milestone" for the A380 program and said that they provide "clear evidence of the technical soundness of the A380," according to the EADS statement.
Airbus has received 166 orders for the model so far, with the first to be delivered to Singapore Airlines in October.
Airbus ran its first flight test program in April 2005 and since then the model has flown over 2,600 hours in 800 flights, EADS said.
Copyright (C) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
12/12/2006 16:14 ET
