Airbus A380 to touch down at BIA

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

For the first time in Sri Lanka’s aviation history, the world’s largest passenger airliner, Airbus A380 has been granted permission to land at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited, the Air Navigation Service Provider has given the green light for Emirates Airlines Airbus A380 (Super Jumbo) aircraft which operates four flights per day between Dubai and Sydney through the Flight Information Region of Sri Lanka to use the Bandaranaike International Airport as an Emergency/Medical alternative, effective from tomorrow. Aviation analysts said that this is a rare honour for a country such as Sri Lanka which has one international airport.

Airbus A380 is the most modern, luxurious and double-deck, wide-bodied four-engine airliner manufactured by the European Consortium Airbus.

The A380 made its maiden flight on April 27, 2005 from Toulouse, France and made its first commercial flight on October 25, 2007 from Singapore to Sydney with Singapore Airlines.