Emirates first A380 completes first 3C check

Emirates A380-861 (c/n 011) A6-EDA arrives at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) as "UAE7223 Super" on August 5, 2008 as it operates a demonstration flight to the airport.

(Photo by Michael Carter) 

Emirates Engineering has completed a 3C check, the largest maintenance check on any aircraft, on the first A380 delivered to Emirates Airline. The Dubai-based carrier received the A380 (registration EDA-Echo Delta Alpha) in June 2008.

Emirates said in a statement the major overhaul has restored the carrier’s first A380 to near pristine condition. In a round-the-clock operation, which took 55 days, two teams of highly specialized engineers stripped the entire interior of the double-decker aircraft to the bare metal hull, inspected and overhauled every single part, and then reassembled the components.

“The entire check is meticulously planned with no room for delays. Grounding an aircraft for such a long time is a tremendous expense,” Emirates VP-base engineering Colin Disspain said.

“Here in Dubai we operate aircraft under some of the world’s toughest conditions, including soaring temperatures and a sandy environment. This requires Emirates to increase maintenance standards to this specific situation. For example, parts often need to be exchanged instead of just cleaned in order to achieve our high level of quality and precision,” Disspain said.

Echo Delta Alpha had flown 20 million km, the equivalent of almost 27 return trips to the moon. It has completed more than 3,000 takeoffs and landings, carrying over 1.2 million passengers. The check was completed with a rigorous test flight before being put back into regular service.

Emirates operates a fleet of 232 aircraft, including 55 A380s—the world’s biggest fleet of the type. To date, Emirates’ A380 fleet has carried 27.5 million revenue passengers, made over 68,800 trips and covered more than 405 million km.

Its Dubai-Los Angeles route is the world’s longest commercial A380 flight in operation, and its Dubai-Kuwait route is the world’s shortest.

By the end of this year, the number of destinations served by an Emirates A380 will increase to 33, with the addition of San Francisco service from Dec. 1 and Houston service from Dec. 3.

(Kurt Hofmann - ATWOline News)