Aircraft

^{By Brendan Sobie in Singapore}

The first Airbus A380 for launch operator Singapore Airlines (SIA) completed its maiden flight from Toulouse yesterday.

SIA says that the Rolls-Royce Trent 900-powered A380-800 (manufacturer's serial number 003) took off for the first time at 08:30 yesterday (pictured below) and was airborne over southwest France for 2h 15min before returning to Toulouse for landing.

All photos ©  Singapore Airlines

The aircraft is now expected to be ferried to Airbus's Hamburg Finkenwerder plant for interior completion and painting.

SIA says the aircraft is scheduled to enter service at the end of this year, initially operating from Singapore to London and Sydney.

“Among the tests completed were the clearing of the flight control systems at all flight levels, as well as the checking of the fuel and autopilot systems,” the Star Alliance carrier says.

“This test flight is part of a series of systems and operational tests that all new aircraft undergo after they are rolled off the Airbus final assembly line in Toulouse,” it says.

SIA has 10 Trent 900-powered A380s on firm order plus 15 options. It says in addition to the one aircraft that is now being flight tested, another five of its A380s are now “at various stages of completion at the Airbus final assembly line”.

External link:
Watch the a video of Airbus A380 aerial displays at the Asian Aerospace 2006 air show in Singapore in February