All across Europe through the winter of 2001–2002, companies prepared to start manufacturing the first components of the A380. The first official metal-cutting ceremony was in Nantes, France, on January 23, 2002, where work began on the A380 wing root fairing nose as well as the center wing box.
The start of machining began with work on a piece of structure called the “cross.” Together with the “tee,” the cross was at the very heart of the A380 where the center wing box joined the upper part of the center section. The massive center wing box measured 23 by 20 by 7 feet, but was about 2,200 pounds lighter than a similar-sized metal part thanks to the extensive use of composites, which made up more than 50 percent of the structure. Carbon fiber was used for forward and aft spars, as well as for upper and lower panels. Assembly of these parts also began on January 23.
In March 2002, the Bremen site also began A380 production with two formed sheet aluminum parts, which would form part of the aft fuselage. Airbus Germany’s Varel site began work the following month on the first aluminum frame assembly for the rear fuselage, while production also began at the other German facilities in Nordenham and Stade. In the United Kingdom, the first metal cutting for parts of the wing took place in April at Filton.
As work was beginning on the various parts of the new airliner, many of the facilities also saw massive building construction projects starting up for the A380 program. By far the largest of these was in Toulouse itself, where a huge plant covering more than 123 acres was underway just a short drive from the Blagnac Airport. Built as part of the prestigious new Aeroconstellation Park, the site consisted of the static test building and the final assembly hall, which covered an area equivalent to 20 soccer fields. Arranged in a series of adjoining hangars with gently curved roofs, the building was 1,600 feet long, 820 feet wide, and 150 feet tall. It was one of the biggest buildings in the world, incorporating more than 32,000 tons of steel, or the equivalent of four Eiffel Towers.