Airbus A380 in round-the-world test flight

TOULOUSE: The Airbus A380 has started a global circumnavigation which will take in the South and North Poles on the last of a series of test flights before it applies for its air safety certificate.

The plane, which is being tested under commercial conditions, is seeking to gain its airworthiness certificate by mid-December from European and United States aviation safety authorities.

It flies from Toulouse, France, where it is assembled, to Johannesburg, Sydney and Vancouver in Canada before returning to France.

The superjumbo left the southwestern city yesterday for South Africa at 9:15 pm (0145 IST) and is expected back in Toulouse on Thursday between 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm (1700 IST and 1730 IST).

"We'll be in Johannesbourg on Sunday. The next day we'll be in Sydney after flying over the South Pole for a very long 16-hour flight," said Fernando Alonso, vice-president of Airbus's flight testing division.

"This is certainly not the shortest route but since we will fly not far from the pole we wanted to fly over this iconic place."

After Australia, the A380 will head to Vancouver before returning to Toulouse.

"During the flight to Toulouse, there will be pilots of the US aviation authority FAA who will witness the proper functioning of the plane," added Alonso.

On Friday, the giant plane returned from 18 days of testing which took it to Asia, with stop-offs at major airports including Singapore, home of Singapore Airlines (SIA).