Airbus A380 (Largest - Ever Passenger Plane)

The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France and made its first commercial flight on 25 October 2007 from Singapore to Sydney with Singapore Airlines. The aircraft was known as the Airbus A3XX during much of its development phase, but the nickname Superjumbo has since become associated with it.

Prime Minister attends unveiling of world’s biggest aircraft:

The largest-ever passenger plane, the Airbus A380, has been formally launched at an elaborate ceremony in France.

Tony Blair said the aircraft was ‘absolutely stunning.’

He joined France’s president Jacques Chirac, Germany’s chancellor Gerhard Schroder and Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero as representatives of the Airbus consortium.

The twin-deck aircraft can carry around 555 people. It is the length of a football pitch and has its wings built in the UK.

A fifth of Airbus is owned by the UK’s BAE Systems. The rest is controlled by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company.

In a speech Mr Blair said the A380 was an example of ‘European co-operation at its best’ and showed the commitment of the 20,000 British workers who had helped to build it.

In a television link-up, the Prime Minister then spoke to schoolchildren assembled at Airbus UK’s Broughton plant in North Wales.

He told them that the new plane was ‘absolutely stunning and one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.’

The chief executives of airlines which have ordered the A380 were at the launch in Toulouse. So far 129 have been sold.