Emirates A380 into Adelaide

[Jeff N]

Just been watching the goings on in Victoria tonight on Planefinder.

There must have been some bad weather over the past few hours, as they currently have planes going everywhere.

They have scheduled 7-8pm departures to Sydney still in the air making a dash to beat the (stupidly rigid) curfew.

Of interest are a Chinese? flight and a Brunei flight both doing laps over Kerang in northern Victoria.

Probably of most interest is the fact that Emirates EK407 is currently sitting on the ground in Adelaide ex Auckland, rather than the scheduled stop in Melbourne.

Is this the first A380 into Adelaide?

[Rowan McKeever]

Hey Jeff

From memory there was a QF A380 diversion not long after they started service. Crew were debating ASP because it was closer or ADL because it was a bit better equipped to handle the aircraft, & ADL 'won'.

Cheers
Rowan

[Stefan Perkas]

No jeff we have had 3 QF A380 diversions in the past. Thai B777 HS-TJS also diverted to Adelaide. 1st Thai visit Adelaide in 15 years.

[Justin L]

And didn't Qantas also do a test flight to ADL with an A380 just before they went into service?

[Jeff N]

It took off at 2310 Adelaide time and returned to Melbourne.

It was then scheduled to depart there sometime after 0130.

On a general note, what is the go with A380s being able to land at Australian airports.

Didn't Sydney and Melbourne need to get runway modifications done to accomodate them?

If so, how do they go landing at places like Adelaide, and Darwin (recent medical diversion)?

[Stefan Perkas]

Jeff,

Adelaide had its runway widened before the A380 was delivered to Qantas. They built the new terminal to fit the A380.
Here are a couple of shots from last nights action...

A6-EDC



EK407 (A6-EDC) and EK440 (A6-ECO) parked side by side


HS-TJS

[Jeff N]

Did the Thai unit get out of Adelaide in the end that night.

One minute it was sitting on the tarmac, the next moment it disappeared from planefinder without a trace.

If the curfew there is 11pm, the A380 left ten minutes after it, so the Thai flight would have been pushing it's luck to get out after that.

[Stefan Perkas]

Jeff,

Thai departed at 2355 as TG4619.

I am under the impression that diversions are allowed to arrive and depart while the curfew is in place. We have had many diversions in the early hours of the morning Etihad A346, Qantas A380, Emirates B777-200LR.

[Ash W]

Originally Posted by Jeff N

It took off at 2310 Adelaide time and returned to Melbourne.

It was then scheduled to depart there sometime after 0130.

On a general note, what is the go with A380s being able to land at Australian airports.

Didn't Sydney and Melbourne need to get runway modifications done to accomodate them?

If so, how do they go landing at places like Adelaide, and Darwin (recent medical diversion)?

Geff, there is a difference between having an aircraft regularly use a runway/airport and ad-hoc visits. You will find the strength etc is rated in number of landings of a certain weight over a year.

Take Canberra for example, whilst it can take 747 aicraft ad-hoc, it would not be able to withstand a dozen or so 747 flights a day.

Then there is the width, if the runway/taxi way isn't wide enough then it may be possible for a larger aicraft to use them, but there may be special procedures/inspections in place afterwards, making it impractical on a regular basis, but ok ad-hoc. Again look at Canberra, before the widening a few years back when ever a 747 took off the runway had to be swept and an inspection for damage made. End result was very rare use of the airport for 747's. Now days they are a lot more common (3 or 4 a year).

[Adam P.]

I am under the impression that diversions are allowed to arrive and depart while the curfew is in place.

Correct.