Routine service test for Emirates Airbus A380 ended with surprising result

What started as a routine Emirates Airbus A380 service test had a surprising end.

The aircraft was being reactivated after being in storage for two years.

Before being added back into Emirates’ fleet, though, it needed to carry out a test flight.

The plane ended up unintentionally breaking the sound barrier, dangerously overheating the engines.

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Employees took the Emirates Airbus A380 out of storage and into the skies for its service test.

At first, the test seemed to be going smoothly, with the plane reaching its maximum speed at cruising altitude as intended.

However, it broke the sound barrier before landing, putting the engines at risk of damage.

Luckily, the aircraft escaped unscathed and will be reintroduced into the Emirates fleet.

How a routine Emirates Airbus A380 test took a supersonic turn

The Airbus started strong, reaching its maximum cruising speed of 560 mph at its cruising altitude, which is typically around 35,000 to 40,000 feet.

By all accounts, the test was a success until it was time to land.

Preparing to land, the aircraft entered a shallow dive, picking up speed as it did.

Suddenly, the Airbus broke the sound barrier at approximately 33,000 feet.

It achieved 650 knots (about 750 mph), almost 80 mph faster than the speed of sound at that altitude.

While some planes like the ‘Son of Concorde’ are intended to reach supersonic speeds, an Airbus A380 is not designed to go so fast.

However, accidents have happened recently, like when this commercial plane accidentally hit supersonic speeds over the Atlantic.

And the footage from the cabin showed just how wild it was.

Surprisingly, it managed to maintain supersonic speed for two minutes before the engines overheated.

“We thought it was done for,” an employee said.

“But when it landed, we performed all the checks, and it turned out the plane was completely fine.”

The damage was minor and included a blocked lavatory drainage tube.

Could the Airbus A380 be the next Concorde?

The Airbus A380 is one of the most iconic and prestigious passenger aircraft ever made.

It’s one of the most recognizable planes in the sky, matched only by the Boeing 747.

Not to mention it’s enormous.

This is not the first time it has achieved remarkable feats.

It’s been seen pulling off stunts like a ‘crab landing’ maneuver and an unreal takeoff.

The A380 is also set to be the guinea pig for Airbus’ new hydrogen-powered engine.

However, reaching supersonic speeds has never been on the A380 agenda.

If it were able to, it would no doubt revolutionize air travel, offering unparalleled comfort while cutting travel times in half.

“Supersonic operations would be a coup for us,” an Emirates spokesperson told AeroTime.

“The test on April 1 was very promising, but we want to be cautious. A lot more testing has to be done before we know how viable it really is.”