Champagne marks first flight of giant Airbus A380

AMID cheering from those on the plane and from those gathered at Singapore and Sydney airports, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, yesterday successfully completed its first commercial flight.

Champagne and fine wines flowed as the Singapore Airlines’ flight covered the 6,400km from Singapore to Sydney.

Singapore Airlines chief executive Chew Choon Seng described the flight as a new milestone in aviation history.

And the 455 passengers aboard, who had paid more than €860,000 for the privilege of being on the first flight certainly thought they had been a part of something special.

All were impressed with a plane that is the height of eight storeys and weighs 361 tons.

Most thought the plane remarkably quiet, others liked the extra legroom and one couple even showed off the cosiness of the first-class suites by obliging watching media with a cuddle in the two beds that they had pushed together to make a double.

It all added up to a spectacular first flight of a multi-billion euro project that has been beset with difficulties.

Deliveries of the new aircraft have fallen many months behind, but all this was forgotten as workers at Singapore’s Changi Airport noisily waved off the aircraft when it left for Sydney just after 1am Irish time yesterday.

Once in the air, passengers were plied with food and drink with the first-class passengers getting — among other things — Dom Perignon Rose 1996.

Passengers, whose ticket proceeds went to charity, ranged from a nine-month-old child to a 91-year-old Singapore man. Among the youngsters were Sophie Killip, 12, and her sister Ellie, 10, who were travelling with their father Richard, 45, formerly from Liverpool but living in Singapore.

“There’s plenty of legroom. The aircraft is great,” said Sophie.