Airport News

6th August 2013

Airport News
British Airways (BA) has taken charge of two ground run enclosures (GREs) at London Heathrow for testing A380 engines with the minimal noise disturbance for nearby communities.

The GREs are designed for post-maintenance engine testing, including take-off power, for aircraft including the double-decker A380, the world’s largest passenger plane.

Duncan Hislop, BA property development manager at Heathrow, said the carrier is committed to “reducing the impact of noise levels on neighbouring communities as far as possible”.

Through consultation with local authorities, the GREs have been sited to protect neighbouring communities from noise during testing.

IAC Acoustics, which built the GREs for BA, said its modular design also offers an improved aerodynamic performance to meet the demands of the ultra-high bypass turbofan.

The next-generation GREs cut the effect of engine noise, vortices and re-ingestion, which could make engines stall, added the firm.

A combination of Jetshield rear walls with Aerowall side walls and IAC Powerflow silencers will enable the GREs to be used more often in previously impossible conditions, said IAC Acoustics.