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World's largest passenger airliner lands at DIA for the first time
It wasn’t planned, but Denver International Airport proved it can handle the world’s largest passenger airliner Sunday night. That’s because an Airbus A380 had to land in the Mile High City after it was diverted due to an on-board medical issue. The pilot said over air traffic control that he had an epileptic patient. The Air France plane was headed from Los Angeles International Airport to Charles de Gaulle Airport in France, according to DIA spokesperson Emily Williams. (www.9news.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I would have expected the over-the-pole flight path from LAX to Paris would not normally have taken them as far East as Denver. I am therefore curious if that airport was chosen because of its altitude and extra long runway and presumably therefore perhaps needing to jettison less fuel?
Searching the flight history of Air France 65, the majority of times has the aircraft flying within diversion range of Denver.
I can see Airbus seeing an opportunity to give the A380 another push forward.
Good luck taking off when it's 90+ at DIA.
That's why DEN, there is no DIA in the database, has a 16,000 ft. runway, which they used to depart. Not to mention a whole bunch at 12,000. Actually, all the rest of them. And it was between 28 and 31 degrees F. when they departed, so they might have needed half of it for BFL. Not a fat white tick fan but AB operators understand performance #'s for the 380, 2/3 of them fly out of the sandbox! They could operate out of DEN year around if any body wanted to.
The article doesn't claim that "DIA" is the ICAO code for "Denver International Airport", it's simply using DIA as an acronym. Considering that it's a TV station's newscast for the masses and not a trade publication for professionals and already-know-it-all enthusiasts, an acronym rather than the ICAO code is acceptable.
Everyone should call an ambulance if a seizure lasts longer then 5 minutes and no pilot should contune a flight for hours with such a passenger on board - the passenger may be dead or without a lot of brain left then.