Airbus Begins Final Assembly of Malaysia Airlines’ First A380

Airbus has begun final assembly of the first A380 super-jumbo for Malaysia Airlines.

On June 7, the first Airbus A380 for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) entered the Airbus Final Assembly Line on the grounds of Toulouse Blagnac Airport for the final-production phase.

The vertical tail plane (VTP) for the first Malaysia Airlines A380 arrives in Toulouse on an A300-600ST Beluga transporter on June 7, 2011. Each Beluga is an A300-600R which has been extensively modified to allow it to carry large aircraft parts and outsized cargo

Final assembly of an A380 consists of five main phases. At the first station, front, central, and aft fuselages, wings, horizontal and vertical tail plane (HTP and VTP) are assembled.

The aircraft is then moved to the second station, where general tests on electric/hydraulic systems, mobile parts and landing gears are carried out and the A380’s engines are installed.

During the third phase, final ground tests and first engine tests take place in dedicated facilities outside the main building.

The front, central and aft fuselages and wings of Malaysia Airlines’ first A380 entered station 40 at the Airbus Final Assembly Line at Toulouse Blagnac Airport on June 7, 2011

Finally, the aircraft is ready for its first flight to Hamburg, Germany, where the A380 is fitted out with its passenger cabin. There, also, Malaysia Airlines’ A380 will be painted in the MAS livery.

Malaysia Airlines has six A380s on order, with deliveries due to begin in 2012.