Airbus A380 in first passenger flight

The Airbus A380 took off from Blagnac International Airport in Toulouse at 9.58 a.m. local time yesterday with 474 passengers on board for the first in a series of four long flights or "Early Long Flights". During the flights, the passengers, comprised...

The Airbus A380 took off from Blagnac International Airport in Toulouse at 9.58 a.m. local time yesterday with 474 passengers on board for the first in a series of four long flights or "Early Long Flights".

During the flights, the passengers, comprised of Airbus employees and cabin experts, will put the cabin through its paces.

The Early Long Flights are an important step towards the A380's entry into service.

The flights allow Airbus to assess the cabin environment and systems in flight ahead of final certification ensuring that airlines will benefit from a fully mature aircraft on delivery.

Airbus so far has 159 firm orders for its A380 from a total of 16 customers, the company said.

Airbus has design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK and Spain as well as subsidiaries in the US, China, Japan and the Middle East.

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