Africa - Airports in Africa that can handle the A380

Does anybody have a comprehensive list?

I know about JNB, and maybe CPT, but where else?

Could the likes of Accra, Libreville, Addis Abbaba, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo, Hurghada etc, ever handle an A380?

Not many major airlines have the A380 yet.

Besides, the traffic/number of passengers have to be justified before a A380 can be put on a certain route.....much easier to have a B777 or A330 instead

What is so special about the A380 anyway?

What is so special about the A380 anyway? Imagine a stall accident with A380, lol

The airports that the A380 serve all have two-level boarding and exiting through three doors. You won't have that feature on any other type of aircraft.

Imagine a stall accident with A380, lol

Not entirely sure why that notion makes you laugh out loud.

Removed the stall comment, thanks for pointing out and sorry. :D

The airports that the A380 serve all have two-level boarding and exiting through three doors.

Not true. Jeddah comes to mind as one that doesn't have this capability.

Could the likes of Accra, Libreville, Addis Abbaba, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo, Hurghada etc, ever handle an A380? (Emphaisis mine)

Ever?
Anything is possible I suppose. Probable? Doubt it.

FWIW I have seen two 747s parked at RIA at the same time. One was Air Force One and the other was the backup.

Johannesburg is the only likely destination for some time. The A380 is not only high capacity but suits routes with a significant premium class demand. Apart from Johannesburg, that's pretty absent across Africa.

The A380 does need some adaptations to operate through airports without disrupting other traffic too much. You can load single level if you wish, takes a while, but the wingspan may impinge on the next gate and the taxi track may not work on taxiways, needing it to backtrack down the main runway.

For diversionary points along the way, most western carriers keep well clear of the various African countries they overfly, and their medical facilities, if they can possibly help it. It's lke a transocean flight. British Airways, for any medical emergency on board, have a procedure that they either keep going to Johannesburg or head back to Palma, Majorca, following review of what is available in between.

Johannesburg is the only likely destination for some time. The A380 is not only high capacity but suits routes with a significant premium class demand. Apart from Johannesburg, that's pretty absent across Africa.

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our lh fra-cario flight was filled in biz class, both ways. had a lot of seats, and a lot of rich people.

Not true. Jeddah comes to mind as one that doesn't have this capability.

Really? So does EK fly their 380s to Jeddah? If so, I would expect them to deliver the same A380 ground service as at other airports.

Really? So does EK fly their 380s to Jeddah? If so, I would expect them to deliver the same A380 ground service as at other airports.
Yes, at least twice daily and the lack of dual airbridge access has been commented on in the EK forum.

Moving this thread to the Africa forum. Thanks for your understanding.

Jouy31
TravelBuzz co-moderator

our lh fra-cario flight was filled in biz class, both ways. had a lot of seats, and a lot of rich people.

Flew from Cairo to FRA on LH once, and on the ground in Cairo, there was the dreaded call for any medical personnel on board to identify themselves. After some to-do, the flight took off, flew to FRA as planned, and then we were all asked to remain seated while a medical team removed someone from the flight :eek:

Does anybody have a comprehensive list?

I know about JNB, and maybe CPT, but where else?

Could the likes of Accra, Libreville, Addis Abbaba, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo, Hurghada etc, ever handle an A380?

In terms of number of passengers, Lagos, especially on routes originating from LHR, CDG and possibly DXB. However the infrastructure and technical "discipline" needed is currently absent .

Surely congested airports, or smaller airports as is the case in Africa, would be better served by less planes? This can happen with larger aircraft that carries more pax. Step forward the A380.

One day I dream of seeing an all-economy A380 (Air Austral cancelled theirs), and such config would surely suit some destinations in Africa, especially DAR/NRB springs to mind. So many people now head off to East Africa for 'less than luxury' safaris, that eventually someone (probably EK) will spot the gap in the market there, and transit European and Asian safarigoers to Tanzania/Kenya via their hub at DXB, of course.