Airbus superjumbo makes first commercial flight
Loaded with champagne, caviar and excited passengers from around the world, the biggest airliner ever built touched down in Australia on Thursday after its first commercial flight.
The Airbus A380 superjumbo, a gigantic double-decker, flew from Singapore to Sydney and into aviation history, making its maiden passenger voyage after months of delays and billions of dollars in cost over-runs.
Enthusiasts hailed the "textbook landing" as the Sydney control tower guided the aircraft they referred to as "the big fella" to a massive airbridge so the 455 passengers could disembark.
Travellers on the Singapore Airlines flight bought their seats in an online charity auction, with one Briton paying more than 100,000 dollars to be among the first to fly the largest passenger plane ever constructed.
"It`s like a party on board," said top-bidder Julian Hayward, who confessed to being "pampered and spoiled" in his super-premium seat as flight attendants plied the debut passengers with champagne and caviar.
Singapore Airlines, the launch customer, offered champagne brunch for all aboard as giddy passengers snapped photos, watched by invited journalists who were to give the airline a great first-day publicity boost.
"We are indeed honoured to have you grace the first commercial flight today," Captain Robert Ting said as flight attendants strolled the aisles, handing out hot towels. "Sit back, relax and enjoy the flight."
The giant plane, so large that 72 cars could fit on each of its wings, can carry up to 853 passengers -- but Singapore Airlines (SIA) has opted instead for a more luxurious set-up with a maximum of 471 seats.
Those include 12 "Suites" which have been at the centre of SIA`s marketing campaign -- compartments featuring a full-length bed behind sliding doors, sheets by French design house Givenchy and flat-screen televisions.
For Thursday`s inaugural flight, suites passengers were offered Dom Perignon Rose 1996, caviar and a menu including duck breast and black cod prepared by two chefs on board.
But the mid-air celebration came after a bumpy take-off for Airbus, which was 18 months late in delivering the plane to SIA and suffered an estimated six billion dollars in cost over-runs.
The delay embarrassed the European manufacturer, a bitter rival of US firm Boeing, and some analysts have warned that the gigantic aircraft is a "white elephant".
But others insist the giant plane will revolutionise the industry.
"This is indeed a new milestone in the timeline of aviation," SIA chief executive officer Chew Choon Seng said in a send-off speech at Changi Airport. "We are on the cusp of history-making."
The plane departed at 0016 GMT from Changi Airport. It arrived in Australia on schedule at 0723 GMT after a seven hour seven minute flight, although overcast weather in Sydney ruined the passengers` views of the city.
After Thursday`s inaugural flight, regular service to Sydney is to begin on Sunday.
Superjumbo service on the Singapore-London route will start in February, and Japan could come later, according to SIA executives.
Rival Boeing has put its energies into developing a midsized airplane, the 787 Dreamliner, which has secured at least 710 orders.
In contrast, Airbus has 180 firm orders and commitments to buy the superjumbo.
Dubai-based Emirates has ordered 55 A380s, making it the leading client on a list of predominantly Asian, European and Gulf-based customers. Qantas will get the A380 next year.
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