Asia steals A380 limelight from Europe

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Ashley Steel
Anyone who has arrived on a flight from London to Singapore Changi Airport will remember the pleasant feeling of setting foot into Terminal One, even after being stuck on a plane for almost 13 hours.
Whereas many passengers arriving at Heathrow complain about long queues at immigration and difficulties navigating the airport, getting out of the terminal in Changi seems to be no problem.
For those who transfer at Changi and have a few hours to spare, facilities are endless - shops, restaurants, open-air gardens, swimming pools and spas to relax in.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that Changi was chosen for the enormous Airbus A380 super jumbo's first commercial flight on Thursday this week, and thus write a significant chapter in the annals of aviation history.
Singapore Airlines which operates a hub in Singapore Changi was the first airline to secure orders for the new plane.
Similar to other carriers like Qantas and Emirates which both placed orders for the A380 early on, Singapore Airlines caters to the long-haul traveller between Europe and Asia, as well as between Europe and Oceania, and therefore needs big aircraft that carry lots of passengers at once, much more so than perhaps the European airlines.
As Singapore Airlines wanted to put the plane into operation quickly, Changi airport lost no time to get ready
The upgrades started about three years ago. Works included widening of the runways as the engines of the A380 are quite far apart and the risk of debris ingestion had to be limited.
Bridges over roads have also been strengthened, new gates have been built, baggage belt carousels extended and seating added to departure lounges that will serve the A380.
In all, the airport will have 19 enlarged gate hold rooms and ten baggage claim carousels to accommodate A380 flights.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, which runs the airport, has reportedly spent more than 60 million Singapore dollars ($40m; £20m) in upgrading its terminal buildings and airport infrastructure.
The efficient and quick upgrade was made possible partly through the Air Hub Development Fund that the CAA first introduced in 2003. The fund has injected millions of dollars into the project.
The A380's take-off Thursday underlines Changi's importance as a major aviation hub in Asia. But the spotlight will not only be on Singapore.
Air Travel in the whole Asia Pacific region is booming. The region is home to more than three billion people and the world's fastest growing market for aviation. Passenger numbers are expected to grow 8% annually over the next five years.
Experts predict that by 2025 Asia will overtake North America as the world's largest aviation market, in both passenger and freight segments.
In this fast growing market, India and China are set to be the two biggest winners.
China's airports are already handling almost 300 million passengers per year and air traffic is estimated to grow by another 30 million passengers each year. China's manufacturing sector and the growth of domestic consumer markets have helped to bring about similar growth in air cargo volumes and capacity.
The demand for more and better airports and infrastructure in Asia is fuelled by the economic growth in the region, aided even further with each new airport.
That is why capacity in Asia is being developed ahead of demand while in Europe progress only happens as a result of excessive demand. Today, in Asia the economic advantages of airport extensions are felt immediately, the necessary investment for such infrastructure projects seems minimal compared with the potential economic benefit to be reaped.
For governments in the region, investment into airports and infrastructure is fundamental to the economic development of their countries.
In China airports are being strategically planned and funded by the government. Currently an $18bn (£9bn) investment programme is under way, an important element of the five-year plan to get airports on the East coast in shape for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Expo in Shanghai.
While the Chinese government controls airport development, it permits foreign investment in airports with stakes of up to 49%, while the Civil Aviation Authority of China continues to administer fees and handle air traffic control issues.
The story in India is similar. There, the government is encouraging private investment into airports and has handed over operations, management and development of Delhi and Mumbai airports to private consortiums.
When countries such as those in Asia build airports they do not just catch up, they usually leapfrog everybody else.
That is why China is not only building more but also bigger airports.
As China increasingly assumes the role of rising superpower, the national sense of pride is being embodied in Chinese construction.
Currently China is not only building the largest dam - Three Gorges, the world's longest bridge - from Ningbo to Shanghai, but also the world's biggest airport in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
So air travellers going to Asia have a lot to look forward to.
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BBC