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.
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.
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.