Personally, if LH are right, I think major US airports need to get up off their collective ar**s and get a few gates ready. The plane ain't going to go away and the US is a big travel market. Grant SYD QF Not a fan of saluting the flag before posting. ----- Original Message ----- From: Clay Wardlow <clay.wardlow@xxxxxxxx> Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 10:24 am Subject: Re: U.S. Airports Not Ready For Airbus A380, Says Lufthansa > How has Airbus responded to this? Are they worried that if few US > airports can handle the plane, the airlines are not going to buy > it? I > know I'd be worried. > > Are many airports around the world that can do this? > > Clay - SEA > > -----Original Message----- > From: lafrance@xxxxxxxxxxx [lafrance@xxxxxxxxxxx] > Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 2:20 PM > Subject: U.S. Airports Not Ready For Airbus A380, Says Lufthansa > > ....and how much is LH spending? > > U.S. Airports Not Ready For Airbus A380, Says Lufthansa > By Steve Lott > 03/09/2004 10:36:20 AM > > > Lufthansa executives declared yesterday that the largest U.S. airports > are not ready to accept the Airbus A380 and a lot of work must be done > before the carrier can feel comfortable from an operational > perspectivelanding the plane on U.S. soil. > > Even though the airline won't begin operating the super jumbo aircraft > until 2007 and a lot of improvements can be made in three years, > Executive VP-Operations Carl Sigel said only a few airports around the > world could handle the A380 and he has his doubts if some > facilities in > the U.S. and Asia can tackle the problems. > > While there has been a lot of focus on how an airport's runways and > taxiways will be able to accommodate the plane, Sigel believes gates > pose the most significant problem. > > Sigel told reporters in Frankfurt yesterday that he would prefer > airports have at least two loading bridges and preferably three on two > different levels. The double-decker A380 will carry 35% more > passengersthan the Boeing 747-400, and Sigel said it could take > more than two > hours to turn an A380 under current conditions. He noted that Los > Angeles and New York Kennedy are not yet ready for the A380 and need > gate upgrades. > > The good news is that Lufthansa's two main Frankfurt and Munich > hubs are > already prepared for the A380. Frankfurt has several gates that allow > loading and unloading on two floors. Sigel said the airline has a > special project group of about 40 staffers preparing for the A380 > and is > working with local airport authorities around the world. Sigel > suggestedthat the resistance to upgraded gates at U.S. airports > might be both a > political and a funding issue. > > It is not only a U.S. problem, he added, because the airline has some > questions about airports in Asia, as well. > > > > > > > Roger > EWROPS >