Air France is ramping up preparations for the introduction of its Airbus A380 fleet with dedicated hangar upgrades.
The French carrier has ordered 12 of the ultra-large aircraft and work is proceeding apace on the first hangar, capable of operating four maintenance bays.
Some indication of the size of building needed can be garnered from the fact that the hangar will span 110m (360ft), has a height of 40m and is on a total floor area of 26,000 sq m.
Designed by architects, Jean Mas and Francois Roux, the 3,000t framework will be capable of bearing a 400t load.
Air France also recently unveiled its new S3 departure lounge capable of handling six A380s at once, as well as upgrades to existing terminals.
The French flag carrier”s 12 A380s ” configured with 538 seats in three cabins ” will be progressively delivered between 2009 and 2012 at a rate of three aircraft per year.
Singapore Airlines is due to officially receive the first of its A380s next Monday. (15 October)