The Airbus A380 is the largest jet airliner ever built and is the world’s first full double-deck passenger aircraft. First flight took place from Toulouse, France on 27 April 2005 and led to a flight test programme involving five Airbus A380s.

Service entry with launch customer Singapore Airlines happened on the 25th October 2007, with A380s also now in service with Emirates and Qantas. Total orders for the Airbus A380 stand at 159, from 16 customers.

Two versions of the Airbus A380 are currently offered, the 550-seat passenger version and a freighter, the Airbus A380F, with stretched versions of both planned.

Available with two engine options: the 74,000lb – 84,000lb thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 900, and the 76,500lb – 81,500lb thrust General Electric/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance GP7200, each producing 74,000lb – 84,000lb of thrust.

As with all modern Airbus types, the Airbus A380 is controlled by a fully fly-by-wire flight control system. The upper fuselage of the aircraft is constructed with a new aluminium/glassfibre material, Glare, which is lighter than aluminium and more resistant to fatigue.

History

Conceived as a response to the Boeing 747, the Airbus A380 development programme was officially launched in June 1994, with development costs initially put at $8 billion which has since risen to $12.2 billion.

The Airbus A380 made its first transatlantic flight to Medellin, Colombia, on 10 January 2006 to test engine performance at high airport altitude.