The new double-decker Airbus 380, the world's largest commercial aircraft, hit European skies on May 18, when it did a test run out of London's Heathrow airport.
The plane has a maximum cruising speed of 660 mph and is considerably more fuel-efficient than all its predecessors.
This super jumbo airliner can carry as many as 840 economy class passengers, that is about one-third more than a Boeing 747 can. It has a wingspan of 50 feet, a little shorter than a cricket pitch, a length equivalent to eight elephants, but looks much squatter and more unsightly than an elephant.
It can also house duty-free shops, hair salons, jacuzzis, lounges, bowling alleys in its galleys -– like a mini flying airport -– depending on how much its future passengers are willing to pay for tickets.
Singapore Airlines Ltd. will be the first carrier to put the plane into passenger service by the end of the year -- already six months behind its original schedule. The airline said Thursday it expected to take delivery of its first A380 in November and plans for the plane to enter commercial service in December.
The A380 will overtake Boeing's 747 as the world's largest commercial jet when it enters service. Boeing announced last year it is launching the 747-8 to compete with the A380.
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