A380 superjumbo grounded again
[26th March 2008]
For the second time in two months the new Airbus A380 superjumbo has been grounded by fuel pump problems.
Singapore Airlines passengers flying on the A380 from Singapore to Sydney on Monday were delayed by six hours due to the fault on the double decker A380. They then had to switch to two smaller Boeing 747s.
Back in February one of Singapore Airlines A380s was also grounded by a fuel pump problem, but the airline says it is not an identical problem.
“The problem is similar to the problem which affected another aircraft a month or so back, but it is important to mention it is not the same problem and not the same aircraft," says Singapore Airlines spokesman Stephen Forshaw.
“The problem last time was identified to be with the electrical relay powering the pump, rather than the pump itself,” adds Forshaw. On this occasion the problem was a “premature failure of the pump”.
Teething problems are not uncommon with new planes, but after so much research and investment Airbus will be disappointed that a similar fault has occurred on two of the first three planes to enter commercial service.
But despite these early setbacks Singapore Airlines appears to be happy with the new A380. “Its entry into service record has been substantially better than any other new aircraft type that we've received," reports Forshaw.
The first A380 landed at Heathrow airport only last week and Singapore Airlines will also launch flights to Tokyo in May. British Airways will be the first UK airline to start flying the new planes in 2012 when it takes delivery of the first of 12 A380s it has ordered so far.
Written by: Nick Purdom
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