New Airbus A380 lands in Hong Kong on test flight

The new Airbus A380 airliner landed in Hong Kong on Saturday as part of a final series of test flights intended to lead to the superjumbo's air-worthiness certification by the end of the year.

The world's largest passenger aircraft, which arrived from Toulouse, France, landed at 12.25 p.m. and was set to leave for Japan on Sunday.

Airport Authority Chief Executive Officer David Pang said the airport is among 10 key global airports to partake in this phase of the A380's type certification.

To ensure the airport meets the Civil Aviation Department's licensing requirements for the A380 and other Code-F aircraft, the authority has invested 100 million HK dollars (12,82 million U.S. dollars) into facility enhancement. The improvements, completed earlier this year, included widening taxiways and upgrading parking stands. The changes enabled the airport to obtain an aerodrome license for A380 operation in July.

At the airport, the superjumbo will go through a series of facility trials, including parking at airbridges, connecting to fixed ground power and receiving pre-conditioned air. Ramp services like catering, line maintenance and aircraft refueling will also be tested during the plane's overnight stay.

The superjumbo will then return to France, before taking off again for the Chinese mainland's airports next week. It will then fly to South Africa, Australia and Canada in the coming weeks.

Source: Xinhua