The world's biggest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, made its first landing at the Frankfurt International Airport on Saturday (today).
About 10,000 people turned out to watch the giant jumbo glide through the morning fog to land at about 0700 GMT on a test flight to see how the jumbo jet was handled at the airport, the German news agency DPA reported.
The giant airliner, which is due to enter service in 2006, is the most advanced, spacious and efficient airliner yet produced.
Launched in December 2000, the aircraft which Airbus sees as the "flagship of the 21st century" was designed in close collaboration with major airlines, airports and airworthiness authorities.
"It was an extraordinary sight to see the landing," the DPA quoted Wilhelm Bender, chief of Fraport AG, as saying.
Combining the very latest technologies for materials, systems and industrial processes, the A380 meets the most stringent international certification requirements, the Airbus said.
It can carry 35 percent more passengers than its closest rival and with far more floor space available, the A380 enables airlines to deliver unparalleled comfort in every class and more open space for passengers to stretch their legs.
Following about eight hours of tests at the airport, the A380 which landed at the Frankfort airport will return to its home base in the French city of Toulouse later on Sunday.
Airbus said that the A380's efficiency and advanced technology result in 15-20 percent lower seat-mile costs. Its range is 10 percent greater than that of other large aircraft.
Sixteen airlines have ordered 159 A380s. The A380 Family starts from a baseline passenger aircraft with a capacity of 555 passengers in three classes, and a range of up to 15,000 km/8,000 nm.
The freighter version, the A380F, will carry a payload of 150 ton over 10,400 km./5,600nm. Stretched, shorter and extended range variants of the baseline version will become available as and when the market requires them, according to the company.
Further flight tests for the A380 passenger plane will also be conducted at airports in other cities including Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Singapore.
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