Airbus announced Sunday that a full evacuation drill of its A380 superjumbo, the largest passenger aircraft in the world, was completed in roughly 80 seconds at a hangar in Hamburg, Germany. The result came in well beneath the 90-second limit required by aviation regulators.
A total of 873 participants, mostly volunteers, exited the double-decker, four-engine jet via emergency chutes. One volunteer sustained a broken thigh bone, while 32 others had minor injuries. Airbus CEO Gustav Humbert said the company planned to visit the injured volunteer in hospital that evening.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it was pleased with the outcome. The drill, which simulated an emergency landing with a fire threat, is a certification requirement for both the EASA and the US Federal Aviation Administration. Around 30 specialists observed the exercise, and 40 infrared cameras recorded the evacuation. Analysis of the results was expected to take several days, with a follow-up test scheduled for 1 April.
The A380 completed its maiden flight in France in April 2005 and has since logged 1,000 hours of test flights. Singapore Airlines is slated to be the launch customer and was expected to receive its first aircraft before the end of 2006.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in March 2006, in its own words.