Michael C. Berch
2006-06-12 17:22:08 UTC
This is from today's Wall Street Journal:
Airbus A380 Faces Operating Limit
Extra Restrictions on Big Jet Owing to Its Powerful Wake Are Likely
to Remain Awhile
By ANDY PASZTOR and DANIEL MICHAELS
June 12, 2006
The Airbus A380 airliner, already buffeted by years of production and
development headaches, is likely to face a daunting challenge once it
enters service next year: unprecedented operating restrictions
intended to protect nearby aircraft from flying into the air
turbulence churned up by the superjumbo jet.
Rules that include special flight restrictions and extra spacing
could pose an immediate marketing problem for Airbus because other
planes in the A380's vicinity will likely have to either slow down or
wait longer to take off to allow for the additional distance. Airbus
designed and marketed the $300 million plane amid promises that it
would fit seamlessly into existing global air-traffic patterns.
International aviation regulators and aerodynamic experts failed
again last week to reach a consensus about the extent of the safety
hazards created by the A380's unusually powerful wake, according to
people involved in the deliberations. Meeting behind closed doors in
Montreal, a study group including U.S. and European government
officials continued to disagree about permanent safeguards to ensure
that turbulence created by the A380 won't affect airplanes during
takeoff, cruising and landing. In extreme cases, such turbulence is
capable of wrenching even a large jetliner out of control.
Without a set of permanent standards, some version of the strict
interim guidelines now in effect -- requiring at least twice the
normal in-flight separation when trailing the twin-deck Airbus model
-- likely will stay in place until well into 2007. Barring a last-
minute breakthrough, these people said, this means that the world's
largest passenger aircraft is poised to begin service with
significantly more-stringent separation rules than any other jet.
Airbus has touted the 555-seat A380 as "the economical solution for
heavily traveled routes." But the interim guidance from the
International Civil Aviation Organization calls for minimum
separations of 10 nautical miles for all aircraft following a landing
A380, compared with the typical five miles required when following
today's largest aircraft. For aircraft flying the same route directly
behind an A380 at cruising altitude, the recommended minimum spacing
is tripled to 15 nautical miles. A further complication is that
controller organizations previously warned they may need as long as
nine months preparation time to phase in new standards.
Airbus, which is 80%-owned by European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co.
and 20%-owned by Britain's BAE Systems PLC, declined to comment on
the turbulence issue. Some Airbus officials recently have expressed a
willingness to accept a modified version of the present standards as
a first step -- with the understanding that permanent rules would
follow relatively quickly. The scientific work initially was supposed
to be finished around the start of this year, but verifying certain
computer-modeling techniques has been especially tough.
The strength of a wake depends partly on the weight of the aircraft
that produced it. Wind and weather conditions can make turbulence
hard to measure accurately around airports. Turbulence levels are
also particularly tough to evaluate while a jet is climbing or
cruising at high altitudes.
Since the controversy erupted last year, Airbus has invested millions
of dollars and months of extensive flight tests to try to demonstrate
that the wake of the 500-ton A380 poses no greater potential safety
threat than turbulence generated by Boeing's largest model, the 747,
which weighs about 100 tons less. There haven't been any recent
crashes of jetliners attributed primarily to wake encounters, though
over the years some business and private planes have experienced
serious incidents and even crashed after following a larger aircraft
too closely near an airport.
Industry and government officials on both sides of the Atlantic
increasingly predict that Airbus will be forced to accept different
rules than it anticipated. Andre Auer, head of the Joint Aviation
Authorities, a European umbrella group with some regulatory
responsibilities, said in an interview days before last week's
Montreal sessions that the interim guidelines for the A380 "are
likely to stay in place until commercial service starts."
The ICAO, which issued the preliminary safety standards in November,
confirmed that no final agreement has been reached. The study group
is interested in "harmonizing the new specifications, whatever they
may be," so they apply equally all over the world, said spokesman
Denis Chagnon. He added that the study group "is working well
together" and hopes to issue a report in mid-November that ICAO
officials could then review.
Privately, even some Airbus officials predict the A380 temporarily
may have to be put into a new air-traffic-control category, until its
safety is proved in actual conditions.
The A380 has faced other head winds, including a six-month production
delay. Separately, engineers were recently forced to reinforce some
structural elements inside the wings after they fell short on a
stress test in February.
Airbus A380 Faces Operating Limit
Extra Restrictions on Big Jet Owing to Its Powerful Wake Are Likely
to Remain Awhile
By ANDY PASZTOR and DANIEL MICHAELS
June 12, 2006
The Airbus A380 airliner, already buffeted by years of production and
development headaches, is likely to face a daunting challenge once it
enters service next year: unprecedented operating restrictions
intended to protect nearby aircraft from flying into the air
turbulence churned up by the superjumbo jet.
Rules that include special flight restrictions and extra spacing
could pose an immediate marketing problem for Airbus because other
planes in the A380's vicinity will likely have to either slow down or
wait longer to take off to allow for the additional distance. Airbus
designed and marketed the $300 million plane amid promises that it
would fit seamlessly into existing global air-traffic patterns.
International aviation regulators and aerodynamic experts failed
again last week to reach a consensus about the extent of the safety
hazards created by the A380's unusually powerful wake, according to
people involved in the deliberations. Meeting behind closed doors in
Montreal, a study group including U.S. and European government
officials continued to disagree about permanent safeguards to ensure
that turbulence created by the A380 won't affect airplanes during
takeoff, cruising and landing. In extreme cases, such turbulence is
capable of wrenching even a large jetliner out of control.
Without a set of permanent standards, some version of the strict
interim guidelines now in effect -- requiring at least twice the
normal in-flight separation when trailing the twin-deck Airbus model
-- likely will stay in place until well into 2007. Barring a last-
minute breakthrough, these people said, this means that the world's
largest passenger aircraft is poised to begin service with
significantly more-stringent separation rules than any other jet.
Airbus has touted the 555-seat A380 as "the economical solution for
heavily traveled routes." But the interim guidance from the
International Civil Aviation Organization calls for minimum
separations of 10 nautical miles for all aircraft following a landing
A380, compared with the typical five miles required when following
today's largest aircraft. For aircraft flying the same route directly
behind an A380 at cruising altitude, the recommended minimum spacing
is tripled to 15 nautical miles. A further complication is that
controller organizations previously warned they may need as long as
nine months preparation time to phase in new standards.
Airbus, which is 80%-owned by European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co.
and 20%-owned by Britain's BAE Systems PLC, declined to comment on
the turbulence issue. Some Airbus officials recently have expressed a
willingness to accept a modified version of the present standards as
a first step -- with the understanding that permanent rules would
follow relatively quickly. The scientific work initially was supposed
to be finished around the start of this year, but verifying certain
computer-modeling techniques has been especially tough.
The strength of a wake depends partly on the weight of the aircraft
that produced it. Wind and weather conditions can make turbulence
hard to measure accurately around airports. Turbulence levels are
also particularly tough to evaluate while a jet is climbing or
cruising at high altitudes.
Since the controversy erupted last year, Airbus has invested millions
of dollars and months of extensive flight tests to try to demonstrate
that the wake of the 500-ton A380 poses no greater potential safety
threat than turbulence generated by Boeing's largest model, the 747,
which weighs about 100 tons less. There haven't been any recent
crashes of jetliners attributed primarily to wake encounters, though
over the years some business and private planes have experienced
serious incidents and even crashed after following a larger aircraft
too closely near an airport.
Industry and government officials on both sides of the Atlantic
increasingly predict that Airbus will be forced to accept different
rules than it anticipated. Andre Auer, head of the Joint Aviation
Authorities, a European umbrella group with some regulatory
responsibilities, said in an interview days before last week's
Montreal sessions that the interim guidelines for the A380 "are
likely to stay in place until commercial service starts."
The ICAO, which issued the preliminary safety standards in November,
confirmed that no final agreement has been reached. The study group
is interested in "harmonizing the new specifications, whatever they
may be," so they apply equally all over the world, said spokesman
Denis Chagnon. He added that the study group "is working well
together" and hopes to issue a report in mid-November that ICAO
officials could then review.
Privately, even some Airbus officials predict the A380 temporarily
may have to be put into a new air-traffic-control category, until its
safety is proved in actual conditions.
The A380 has faced other head winds, including a six-month production
delay. Separately, engineers were recently forced to reinforce some
structural elements inside the wings after they fell short on a
stress test in February.