By IANS
Dubai : Emirates Airline is gearing up to conduct hot weather operability tests of the A380 jetliner jointly with Airbus for the entry of the super-jumbo into its fleet.
The tests, a step to mark the airline's gradual build up to become the world's largest operator of A380 planes, will start Aug 15 and will be followed by technical training later in the year, WAM news agency said.
The MSN007 aircraft will undergo airport compatibility checks, on-ground and in-flight service checks, and ground handling and maintenance procedure tests during its seven-day Dubai stay.
Flown by Airbus test pilots, and experienced and trained Emirates pilots, two flights will take to the Dubai skies Aug 17 and 18 each, operating on back-to-back schedules with a two-hour turnaround period.
"Having worked closely with Airbus in the design and development of the A380, we are collaborating with them once again to test the ground handling aspects of the aircraft and its operational performance in normal and extreme conditions," said Adel Al Redha, Emirates' Executive Vice President, Engineering and Operations.
"It is to ensure 100 percent readiness when Emirates' first A380 enters service next year."
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