Airbus A380 back in Durban

Published Jul 1, 2014

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Durban - Look up in Durban this week and there’s a fair chance you’ll see something big pass overhead.

British Airways has been flying one of its Airbus A380s over the city since Thursday.

They are using King Shaka International Airport to train pilots to fly what is the world’s largest passenger aircraft.

It arrives daily at OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng from London’s Heathrow Airport.

After the passengers alight, the trainee pilots fly to King Shaka International in Durban where they undergo training, said airport spokesman Colin Naidoo.

The plane does not park at any of the terminuses and lands in-between other scheduled airline flights. The pilots then change seats and it takes off again. They do as many flights as possible before flying back to OR Tambo, and continuing to Heathrow with passengers. They will repeat the training for a week.

“This gives our airport recognition and illustrates our capacity to handle bigger planes like the Airbus,” said Naidoo.

The Airbus landed at King Shaka in January, when the airline confirmed it would bring the A380 to Durban for “crew training”.

Daily News

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