2006/06/16
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4990780.stm
Airbus A380 jet lands
at Heathrow
The Airbus A380, the world's biggest
passenger jet, has landed at London's Heathrow Airport for the first time.
Making its UK debut after a flight from Berlin, the giant
twin-deck plane had earlier flown over the two UK Airbus sites that designed
and made its wings.
Staff at the facilities in Broughton, Flintshire, and Filton, near
Bristol, cheered as it passed low above them.
The 555-seat aircraft and its crew are visiting Heathrow to test
the airport's facilities before flying out on Friday.
"This is truly a monumental day in aviation history,"
said Heathrow's managing director Tony Douglas.
Aviation milestone
Heathrow operator BAA is spending £450m so that it is ready to
handle the A380 when it starts making commercial flights later this year.
The plane was met at the airport's new £105m pier 6 at Terminal 3
by dignitaries including Chancellor Gordon Brown.
"I think it's a great success story for European
co-operation. I think it's also a big triumph for British manufacturing,
British technology, British science," said Mr Brown.
"British science has contributed a great deal to this and I think
this is going to be a widely used aircraft. You can see the popular interest in
it already here at Heathrow and I think it's going to be a huge commercial
success and I do pay tribute to all who played a part in making this
possible."
The new pier 6 has been specially designed to handle the A380's
twin decks.
Money has also been spent at Heathrow resurfacing runways,
upgrading lighting and building new taxiways in preparation for the plane.
Together with Mr Brown were the heads of some of the 16 airlines
that have already ordered the 73-metre-long aircraft, which will go into
passenger service in December this year.
During the visit, airport officials will test whether the plane
does indeed fit the airport.
'Milestone'
Developed by the European Airbus consortium for about £6bn, the
A380 has been heralded as a major milestone in aviation history.
The jet maker has taken 159 firm orders for the plane from 16
carriers, including Singapore Airlines, which will make the inaugural
commercial flight on its route between Sydney, Singapore and London later this
year.
A spokesman for the world's airport operators told BBC Radio Five
Live that the A380 was more environmentally friendly than older aircraft.
"It's an efficient and clean and environmentally friendly
aircraft, and it has lower fuel consumption per seat, and produces less noise
and emissions than older aircraft, and for airports it should increase their
ability to handle passengers," said David Gamper of the Airports Council
International.
Rival plan
Airbus sees the giant A380 as the future of aviation, responding
to airline calls for a bigger plane to meet increasing passenger numbers flying
between major hubs.
Its great rival, US giant Boeing, is taking a different track, predicting
that the future growth sector will be for additional medium-sized planes that
can service more of the smaller airports that cannot handle the A380.
For that reason, Boeing has developed a new medium-sized plane
called the 787 Dreamliner.
Environmental campaigners argue against both planes, saying that
the world needs to move towards less air travel as a means to help combat
global warming.
Have you spotted or
photographed the A380 flying over your area? If so, send us your photos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk
Click
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JUMBO
JET AND SUPER-JUMBO
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dig･ni･tary /d#gn#t#ri; ‐t(#)ri/
＃n 高位の人, 高官, 首脳; 《特に》高位聖職者《bishop など》.
＃a 威厳の, 尊厳な, 名誉ある.
-tar･i･al /d#gn#t##ri#l, #‐t＃r‐/ a
[propriety: proprietary などの類推で dignity から]
[株式会社研究社 リーダーズ英和辞典第2版]
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her･ald /h#r#ld/
＃n
1 【史】 伝令官; 布告者, 報道者《しばしば 新聞名》; 使者; 先駆者, 先触れ.
･The robin is a herald of spring. コマドりは春を告げる.
2 【英】 紋章官; 《中世の》式部官.
＃vt 告知[布告]する; 先触れ[予告]する; 先導[案内]する; (熱烈に)歓迎する.
〜･ist n 紋章学者[研究者].
[OF<Gmc＝army rule]
[株式会社研究社 リーダーズ英和辞典第2版]
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bn
beacon; been; billion.
[株式会社研究社 リーダーズ英和辞典第2版]
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fa･cil･i･ty /f#s#l#ti/
＃n
1a 容易さ (ease); 《容易に学び または 行なう》才, 器用さ, 腕前, 流暢.
･with great facility きわめて容易に.
･Practice gives facility. 練習をすれば腕が上がる.
･facility in cooking 料理の腕.
b 人のよさ, 御しやすさ.
2 [Ｕpl] 便, 便宜(をはかるためのもの), 便益, 設備, 施設; 【軍】 (補給)基地; [Ｏpl] 洗面所.
･educational [public] facilities 教育[公共]施設.
･facilities of civilization 文明の利器.
･give [afford, offer] every facility for… …にあらゆる便宜を与える.
[F or L: ⇒FACILE]
[株式会社研究社 リーダーズ英和辞典第2版]