LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/13/07 -- The Airbus A380 -- the world's largest
airliner -- is scheduled to make an historic first visit to the U.S. West
Coast when it lands at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at 9:30 a.m.
Pacific Time on Monday, March 19, 2007. The historic flight is being
conducted by Airbus, Los Angeles World Airports and Qantas Airways to test
airport function and compatibility in anticipation of Qantas' A380
passenger service at LAX, which is scheduled to begin in 2008. The
aircraft is scheduled to depart between 7:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday,
March 20.
This visit to Los Angeles will occur simultaneously with the landing of a
second A380 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at 12:30
p.m. EDT.
After landing on Runway 24R on the northside of LAX, the aircraft will taxi
to the southside of the airport for an arrival ceremony at the Flight Path
Learning Center in the LAX Imperial Terminal at 6661 West Imperial Highway.
Ceremony will include the following confirmed speakers:
-- The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles
-- Allan McArtor, Chairman of Airbus North America
-- Wally R. Mariani, Senior Executive Vice President, The Americas and
Pacific, Qantas Airways
-- Alan Rothenberg, President of the Los Angeles Board of Airport
Commissioners
-- Samson Mengistu, Acting Executive Director of Los Angeles World
Airports
On Tuesday, March 20, the aircraft will depart on Runway 25R on the
southside of LAX. ALL media will be staged in the same location at the
Flight Path Learning Center as Monday.
EVENT MEDIA CREDENTIALS:
For security purposes, ALL media must pre-register with LAX Public
Relations by 5:00 p.m. PDT, Friday, March 16, if planning to attend the
arrival ceremony on Monday, March 19, AND/OR the departure photo-op on
Tuesday, March 20. Both events will occur on airport property and are not
open to the public. No "walk-ins" will be permitted.
All media representatives must bring government-issued photo identification
to the media check-in desk at the Flight Path Learning Center for
credentials that will be valid for March 19 and 20. All media will be
subject to a security check prior to entering the center. For media
credentials, contact LAX Public Relations at (310) 646-5260 or e-mail
Sherell Palmer at spalmer@lawa.org OR Sandra Banks at
sreedom-banks@lawa.org. PLEASE PROVIDE NAME, ORGANIZATION, PHONE NUMBER
AND E-MAIL.
ALL satellite and microwave companies and freelance still photographers
working on assignment for media must e-mail or fax verification on media
client's letterhead signed by the editor to LAX Public Relations at (310)
646-1894.
ALL confirmations and parking instructions will be e-mailed to the specific
media person within 48 hours of receipt of request.
MEDIA POOLS:
While the arrival ceremony at the Flight Path Learning Center is open to
the media, two media pools have been arranged to go onto the restricted
airfield to shoot aircraft touchdown and onboard the aircraft itself. The
aircraft is numbered MSN 1, the first A380 to conduct proving flights. It
is flying Airbus "colors." The aircraft interior is NOT configured or
equipped for commercial passenger seating.
Pool #1 on the north airfield for aircraft touchdown will consist of:
-- Photos -- Associated Press at (213) 346-3140
-- Photos -- Qantas photographer at Qantas PR (310) 641-2525
-- TV footage -- TBD
-- Airbus videographer at Airbus PR (703) 834-3456
-- LAWA videographer at LAX PR (310) 646-5260
Pool #2 on the aircraft with VIP group will consist of:
-- Photos -- Associated Press at (213) 346-3140
-- Photos -- Qantas photographer at Qantas PR (310) 641-2525
-- TV footage - KABC-TV Channel 7 at (818) 863-7500
-- Airbus videographer at Airbus PR (703) 834-3456
-- LAWA videographer at LAX PR (310) 646-5260
MEDIA PARKING:
Preregistered TV and radio media with broadcast-equipped vehicles may park
at Flight Path Learning Center. ALL other pre-registered media will be
issued an event confirmation/boarding pass that will allow them to park in
a specially designated area of LAX Economy Parking Lot B (special event
parking entrance at the T-intersection of La Cienega and Lennox
Boulevards). The boarding pass MUST be shown to the driver before boarding
the specially designated LAX shuttle buses from Lot B to the Flight Path
Learning Center. Event shuttle buses will depart Lot B and Flight Path
Learning Center at 15-minute intervals beginning 7:30 a.m. with the last
bus departing Flight Path at 2:00 p.m.
MEDIA SCHEDULE:
DAY 1 - Monday, March 19, 2007
3:00 a.m. ALL pre-registered broadcast-equipped TV and radio
media vehicles may begin set up in parking lot of
Flight Path Learning Center at 6661 West Imperial
Highway.
5:00 a.m. Representatives from Airbus, Qantas and LAX
available for early morning, on-camera interviews at
Flight Path Learning Center.
7:30 a.m. Shuttle buses begin departing LAX Economy Parking
Lot B to Flight Path Learning Center. You MUST show
event confirmation/boarding pass to board bus.
8:00 a.m. Deadline for ALL pre-registered broadcast-equipped TV
and radio media vehicles to be positioned in Flight
Path Learning Center parking lot at 6661 West Imperial
Highway by 7:30 a.m. for security screening.
8:30 a.m. ALL other pre-registered media encouraged to depart
LAX Economy Lot B NO LATER THAN 8:30 a.m. to arrive in
time for check-in and security screening before
aircraft lands.
8:45 a.m. Pool #1 leaves Flight Path ramp area to drive to north
airfield location.
9:30 a.m. Visual #1 by Pool #1: A380 touches down on Runway 24R
on north airfield (aircraft approach will be visible
from Flight Path Learning Center but actual touchdown
will NOT be visible).
Visual #1 by TV news helicopters from the air (per usual
permission from FAA Air Traffic Control Tower).
9:50 a.m. Visual #2: A380 arrives ramp area of Flight Path
Learning.
10:00 a.m. Pool #1 returns from north airfield returns to Flight
Path Learning Center ramp area.
10:15 a.m. Visual #3: Pilot descends portable stairs to shake
hands of VIP speakers group (see above names) at bases
of stairs.
10:30 a.m. Visual #4: Speakers walk to podium - ceremony begins.
Visual #5: Mayor Villaraigosa speaks.
Visual #6: Allan McArtor (Airbus) speaks.
Visual #7: Wally Mariani (Qantas) speaks.
Visual #8: Alan Rothenberg (L.A. Board of Airport
Commissioners) speaks.
Visual #9: Samson Mengistu (LAWA) speaks.
10:50 a.m. Ceremony concludes.
Visual #10: Airbus executive escorts VIP speakers group
plus Pool #2 up portable stairs for tour and
photos/footage inside aircraft.
11:00 a.m. Visual #11: Open photography of aircraft exterior
until 1:45 p.m.
Visual #12: One-on-one interviews outside the aircraft
with speakers, flight crew, representatives of Airbus,
LAX and Qantas; LA Inc./The Convention & Visitors
Bureau; L.A. Economic Development Corporation; and
elected officials in attendance.
Celebratory reception begins.
1:45 p.m. Aircraft doors close. Arrival event concludes.
2:00 p.m. Last shuttle bus departs for LAX Economy Parking Lot B
A380 moves to Tom Bradley International Terminal
3:00 p.m. ALL broadcast-equipped media MUST vacate Flight Path
Learning Center parking lot.
Day 2 - Tuesday, March 20, 2007
5:00 p.m. Photo op ONLY. ALL pre-registered media begin arriving
at Flight Path Learning Center parking lot for set up.
No shuttle bus transportation. First-come/first-serve
on parking slots.
6:15 p.m. Media pool departs Flight Path Learning Center ramp
area for south airfield location.
7:15 - 7:45 p.m. A380 takes off on Runway 25R.
8:00 p.m. Media pool returns to Flight Path Learning Center ramp
area.
CONTACTS:
Airbus:
Kristi Tucker
(703) 834-3456
LAX:
Nancy Castles
Tom Winfrey
Katherine Alvarado
(310) 646-5260
LAX 24-hour PR duty officer pager at (310) 523-8994
Qantas:
Agnes Huff
(310) 641-2525
