Our special A380 correspondent is following the aircraft during its tour of Asia and Australia major hubs. Flying sometimes on commercial flights and sometimes on-board the test aircraft, she shares pages of her journal with us:
 
After working into a late night to put on Malaysia Airlines decals, we join over 1000 invited guests to watch the arrival of the A380 and celebrate its first visit to Malaysia.
 
The Airbus pilots were accompanied by Malaysia Airlines’ chief pilot as the aircraft made its way from a Malaysia Airlines’ hangar to the Bunga Raya Complex at 10AM.  It arrived in front of the guests and performers where it was welcomed with traditional Malaysian music, dancing and showers of water sprayed from airport fire truck pumps.  The pilots flew Malaysian flags out the cockpit windows and were welcomed warmly.   The overall festive feeling and great enthusiasm of the Malaysians is a great way to end our last day of visits with the aircraft in Asia & the Pacific; it is a day that is full of festivity and celebration.  
 
After this official welcome visits of the aircraft begin, and before the day is over, more than 500 people, including the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Malaysian royalty, Ministers, Ambassadors, the Board of Directors and Management Committee of MAS, PMB and Malaysia Airports, Heads of the Armed Forces, Immigration, Customs, and Security, Airport employees and of course, Malaysia Airlines employees.  
 
The effort and work demanded of all Airbus Technical teams was greatly challenged by the additional requirement to remove and apply airline-specific decals in each location.  This sometimes meant working late into the night and then returning very early in the morning to leave for the next visit.  
 
On this last day, the airport compatibility team was challenged once again by a tremendous thunderstorm.  In spite of that, and so starting 2 hours late on their tests, they completed every thing on time.
 

Following the first airport compatibility tests at Frankfurt airport, Airbus has successfully demonstrated the A380’s compatibility at four more airports during the recent Asia-Pacific tour.
 
Successful A380 airport compatibility tests were completed at Australia’s Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne airports along with Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur airport.
 
In each location the testing undertaken was somewhat different depending on the interests of the airline and the airport in question.
 
The first stop on the tour was Singapore on 11 November, where some minor testing was carried out including airside checks on taxiways and runways along with bridge positioning checks on gate F31.  A more extensive airport test program is planned to be organized in February 2006, around the time of the A380’s appearance at the Asian Aerospace air show in Singapore.
 
Airside tests on runways and taxiways were then done on 13 November in Brisbane, where the aircraft was also towed to the international terminal and refuelled.
 
The following day in Sydney ground support equipment (GSE) trials were done at the Qantas Jet Base. Equipment successfully tested included upper deck catering vehicle prototypes, stairs, cargo loaders, air conditioning units and the ground power unit (GPU).
 
The aircraft then travelled to Melbourne on 14 November for more compatibility testing. Particular attention was paid to bridge positioning tests on Melbourne airport’s gate 9. Melbourne is the first airport in Australia with upper deck bridge capability and the tests proved the aircraft is easily accessible for passengers and crew.  
 
After the Australian tests the aircraft flew to Kuala Lumpur airport where it taxied to gate C17, a designated A380 gate. Upper deck equipment is not yet available in Kuala Lumpur, however the team simulated a GSE and bridge positioning.
 

The no. 1 A380 today completed its successful Asia-Pacific demonstration tour, which previewed what the future of flying will be when this 21st century flagship enters commercial service.
 
Starting from Toulouse, France on 10 November, the A380 traveled non-stop to Singapore for its initial visit.  This was followed by stopovers at the Australian cities of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.  The tour wrapped up with a landing at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia prior to the A380’s return to Toulouse.
 
These visits enabled the region’s future A380 operators – Singapore Airlines, Qantas, and Malaysia Airlines – to see the aircraft first-hand, and allowed airports to validate the jetliner’s compatibility with their terminal and ground infrastructure.  
 
At each of the stops, the A380 drew large crowds of spectators who were anxious to have a first look at the latest in Airbus’ fly-by-wire product line.
 
During the second of its two visits to Brisbane, the A380 shared the spotlight with another international star – actor John Travolta, a highly qualified pilot who also serves as an informal ambassador for Qantas.  As part of Qantas’ 85th birthday celebrations, Travolta performed a walk-around of the A380 with the news media, and was given a brief demonstration flight in the aircraft.
 
With the no. 1 A380’s Asia-Pacific trip now complete, the no. 2 A380 takes over as it heads to next week’s Dubai air show in the United Arab Emirates.
 

../.. tested included upper deck catering vehicle prototypes ../..