Emirates' touches down in Vienna

Austrian dignitaries, officials, VIPs and media attending an invitation-only event at the airport today were the first ever non-operational people to set foot inside this brand new, state-of-the-art aviation icon since it arrived in Vienna yesterday.

Guests toured the aircraft for a glimpse of the stunning interior which will be part of the A380 experience Austrian travellers will be able to enjoy from 1st July when Emirates becomes the first airline to operate a scheduled A380 service into Vienna.

Preparations have been underway for many months in readiness for the start of operations. Vienna Airport has embarked on a long term project that includes changes to the apron infrastructure, investments in aircraft handling equipment, gate and boarding facilities, and airside terminal areas to ensure passengers have a smooth transition through the airport and onto the aircraft.

This special one-off visit by the 80th A380, captained by Austrian national Florian Ragg, was the final stage in this detailed planning. Its mission was to test technical procedures like pier docking, movement of the aircraft on the apron into its correct parking position, specialised aircraft cleaning inside and out and the loading and unloading of catering and baggage. To provide a large enough space for docking and handling of this wide body aircraft four airport gates will be merged into one.