May 2017

MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT FOR A380 COMPONENTS

To transport the major components of the A380 from the European sites where they are manufactured to the aircraft final assembly line in Blagnac (), could not choose the air transport system used for all its other programmes (a fleet of five Beluga aircraft makes more than sixty flights per week between the various aircraft manufacturer's sites to transport the parts of all the aircraft of the Airbus family: from the A318 to the A350).

Although certain components of the forward fuselage and vertical tailplane of the A380 are transported to Blagnac on the Beluga aircraft, the exceptional dimensions of the other components make their transport by air impossible and Airbus has developed an innovative multimodal transport solution.

These components are transported from the various sites in Europe to the final assembly line by ships, barges and trucks.

2000 km by sea

During the first phase, three Ro-Ro (roll on-roll off) ships chartered from the Louis Dreyfus Armateurs are used. These two ship owners are specialised in maritime transport. Louis Dreyfus Seaplane is then in charge to organise the aircraft components transport for Airbus throughout Europe.

The first ship to enter into service was the "Ville de ", measuring 155 metres long and 24 metres wide. It was joined in 2008 by the "City of Hamburg", then the "Ciudad de Cadiz" in 2009. These two ships are smaller and measure 127 metres long and 25 metres wide. These ships are also used for the transport of components for other Airbus programmes.

All have been specifically sized to transport the A380 components.

Each Ro-Ro ships follows a specific route sailing to the ports serving the Airbus plants located in Broughton (United Kingdom), Hamburg (Germany), Puerto Real (Spain) and Saint- Nazaire (France).

The Ciudad de Cadiz goes to Mostyn in Wales to take onboard the wingset which has been previously shipped 35 km down the river Dee onboard the "Afon Dyfrdwy", a barge chartered from Holyhead Towing. The Ro-Ro ship then sails to Pauillac for the remainder of the journey.

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At the same time, the City of Hamburg leaves Hamburg port with the rear part of the fuselage and continues on to Saint-Nazaire to load the other parts of the centre and forward fuselage.

Loaded with all the aircraft fuselage elements, the boat then sails to Pauillac to deliver its cargo.

Meanwhile, the Ville de Bordeaux sails to the ports of Naples in Italy, Cadiz (Puerto Real) in Spain and Saint-Nazaire, before continuing to Pauillac, loaded with the horizontal tailplane and the sub-assemblies of the fuselage and the aircraft floor.

Inland waterway transport on the Garonne river

The aircraft components have been transferred to a floating pontoon located on the Gironde estuary near Pauillac. There, two barges (Le Breuil and Le Brion) will take over from the Ro- Ro ships to transport these components 95 km up the Garonne river to Langon (Gironde).

Built by the Dutch shipyard De Hoop (near to Rotterdam), these barges measure 75 metres long and 13.80 metres wide for a draught of 2.60 metres and are equipped with a rear door. They are chartered by Airbus from the shipping company Socatra which also operates the floating pontoon.

Four return journeys and eight days between Pauillac and Langon are required to ship all the aircraft components. The rate of around thirty journeys per year in 2004 has increased to more than one hundred journeys per year in 2013.

Wide-load road transport over 240 km

The last step of the transport is done by road, when the six components delivered to Langon leave the local logistic base on trucks, taking the "’itinéraire à grand gabarit" (ITGG) to the "Jean-Luc Lagardère" final assembly plant in Blagnac.

The convoy, consisting of six sets of trailers with their tractors, travels only by night in two stages: From Langon up to Ordan Larroque (closed to Auch) and then to Blagnac to the A380 final assembly line in Blagnac (Haute-Garonne). The tractors and the trailers have been specially designed for transport on the ITGG in cooperation and with the expertise of Transports Capelle.

The convoy travels 240 km along the ITGG at a speed of 10 to 25 km/h and stops to wait during the day at the end of each stage on specially made parking areas. The Langon- Toulouse section passes through 21 towns and villages and is escorted by the police who close 15 km sections allowing the convoy to progress and to ensure the safety of the users.

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To limit the obstruction caused by the convoy, bypass routes are proposed to the users. Lighted signs are installed along the route and at the major junctions to inform the users of the convoy's progress.

A complete convoy can be up to 2000 metres long (accompanying vehicles included) and involve around sixty persons (transport service, police and security forces).

Components comprising the convoy:

Wingset

Dimensions in metres Weight in metric tons L W H Part Jig Total 45.2 6.8 11.5 33 76 109

Rear fuselage

Dimensions of component in Weight of component in metric metres tons L W H Part Jig Total 23 7.8 9.9 22.6 34.9 57.5

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Centre fuselage

Dimensions of component in Weight of component in metric metres tons L W H Part Jig Total 23.2 7.8 10.1 40.9 22.6 63.5

Forward fuselage

Dimensions of component in Weight of component in metric metres tons L W H Part Jig Total 21.3 7.8 9.9 20.2 35.8 56

Horizontal tailplane

Dimensions of component in Weight of component in metric metres tons L W H Part Jig Total 27.5 7.2 13.7 8.9 51.5 60.4

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