Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

New Airbus Lands in London

First A380 commercial flight arrives from Singapore

By Sam Gale Rosen, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 18, 2008 3:15 PM CDT

(Newser) – An Airbus A380 super-jumbo jet landed at London's Heathrow Airport today, completing the huge plane's first commercial European flight. The double-decker arrived from Singapore 15 minutes ahead of schedule, and each of the 470 passengers received a certificate commemorating the event. Singapore Airlines is currently using three of the planes and has 16 more on order, reports the BBC.

Heathrow constructed a $200 million terminal addition just to handle A380s, which Emirates also uses, and did almost $700 million worth of work on runways and lighting to prepare for the giant aircraft. Airbus says the A380 is beneficial for the environment, using 17% less fuel per seat than the next-largest airliner.

[Images (4)]

[Videos (2)]

The Airbus A380 flies past flags of different nations on Wednesday Feb. 20, 2008 at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore. (AP Photo)

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 takes off with the fire station of Changi International Airport in the background on Tuesday March 18, 2008 in Singapore. (AP Photo)

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 which takes off from Changi International Airport while a photographer takes a picture of it on Tuesday March 18, 2008 in Singapore. (AP Photo)

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 takes off from Changi International Airport on Tuesday March 18, 2008 in Singapore. (AP Photo)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

A380 Airbus Crosswind Landing Flight Test (bugmenot101 (YouTube))

Airbus A380 (jetpilot (YouTube))

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Airbus' Star Jet Grounded After Air Show Flub

Airbus faces series of setbacks at Paris Air Show

(NEWSER) - The world’s biggest air show begins today, but Airbus won't be showing off the gem of its fleet—the superjumbo A380 has been grounded after it collided with a taxiway building, damaging its wingtip. It’s just one of several Paris Air Show embarrassments for the Boeing rival, the AP reports: Airbus also canceled the demo of its A400M military transport plane due to a gearbox issue, and the company on Saturday announced that two versions of its A350 jet would be delayed two years. More»

Airbus Shows Off Transparent Jet of the Future

Imaginary jet features bar, video game area

(NEWSER) - Someday, Wonder Woman won’t be the only one with an invisible jet. Airbus has been showing the media a virtual “Concept Cabin” of what it imagines its passenger jets will look like in 40 years. The showiest feature: The jets' walls can turn see-through at the touch of a button, giving passengers a stunning view of the sky around them, the Telegraph reports. It also envisions such innovations as “morphing seats” that capture passengers’ body heat and use it to power their entertainment. More»

Investigators Pinpoint Airbus Engine Fault

Qantas starts legal action against Rolls-Royce

(NEWSER) - Following a Qantas engine explosion last month, investigators have isolated a major fault in some Airbus A380 engines, the BBC reports. Rolls-Royce’s Trent 900—the kind used on the Qantas flight—had a misaligned part that weakened an oil pipe wall, resulting in “fatigue cracking,” which led to leaking and a fire. Rolls-Royce says it has “instituted a regime of inspection, maintenance, and removal which has assured safe operation.” More»

Rolls-Royce Beats Engine Fire Rap, Lands $1.2B Contract

That would be $4.2B this month alone

(NEWSER) - The fact that a faulty Rolls-Royce engine caused a fire and the subsequent grounding of Airbus A380s around the world seems not to have affected the company's business: It just won a $1.2 billion contract to provide engines and maintenance for Dubai's Emirates Airlines. In fact, it's gotten $4.2 billion in orders this month, thanks to other deals in China. Rolls-Royce now holds 56% of the Chinese market for large civilian aircraft engines. More»

Qantas: Half of World's A380s Need Engines Replaced

Airbus to seek compensation from Rolls-Royce

(NEWSER) - The chief of Qantas Airways has chilled the hearts of nervous fliers—and Rolls-Royce shareholders—by saying up to half of the world's fleet of Airbus A380 jumbos using Rolls-Royce engines need to have their engines replaced. The CEO says the engines need to be replaced because of a faulty component that caused an engine in a Qantas jet to catch fire and disintegrate earlier this month, Bloomberg reports. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

New Airbus Lands in London