Airbus' A380 MSN004 is now preparing to head for Asian Aerospace 2006 in Singapore after having successfully completed the cold weather test campaign in Canada.

The aircraft will perform daily flying displays during the show which is due to begin on Feb 21, Airbus said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today.

MSN004, the second A380 to fly, spent five days in conditions of up to minus 30 degrees Celsius to prove full functionality of the systems under extreme weather conditions, a Bernama report said.

Earlier this month, Airbus said the high altitude campaign successfully took place in Medellin, Columbia, an airport at an altitude of 5,000 feet.

Airbus said the hot weather campaign is planned to take place in Africa this summer where the aircraft would be faced with a temperature of up to 40 degrees Celsius.

SIA first operator

It said to date, two aircraft, MSN001 and MSN004, are equipped with heavy test instrumentation.

The third aircraft, MSN002, is receiving cabin installation in Hamburg.

It will soon be joined by the fourth aircraft, MSN007, which will also undergo cabin and noise tests, as well as performing the early long flights and later the route proving, together with further airport compatibility checks.

Upon completion of the certification process, the world's largest commercial airliner will be delivered to the first operator, Singapore Airlines, in late 2006.