World's First Superjumbo A380 Launches Inaugural Singaporeflight

Oct 25, 08:29 AM

Current Headlines: World's first superjumbo A380 launches inaugural Singaporeflight

SINGAPORE, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The world's first superjumbo A380 bought by Singapore Airlines (SIA) launched its inaugural commercial flight from Singapore to Sydney of Australia, on Thursday.

The SIA A380 departed the Singapore's Changi Airport at 08:16 a.m. local time (0016 GMT), carrying more than 400 passengers.

This Flight SQ380 is expected to arrive at Sydney almost seven and a half hours later and will return to Singapore the following day.

William Leong, a timekeeper businessman, paid 7080 U.S. dollarsto bid eight tickets for his father and siblings.

"I promised my 90-year-old father to bring him to fly the firstSIA A380 flight three years ago when I knew this event," he told Xinhua before boarding. His father Leong Loutech, the oldest passenger on board, sat in wheelchair kept silence and smiling.

The youngest passenger, a 10-month-old boy, slept deeply in hismother's arms, regardless of photographers lens and flashes. His father Quek Kai Soon told reporters, "I wish the baby and his two sisters will remember this historic experience."

Singapore Airlines has installed 471 seats to offer more space,particularly in business and first class. SIA's version has a "suites" class of 12 compartments with full-size bed, 60 business seats and 399 economy seats.

On the first flight, two top chefs, one from Singapore and another from Sydney, will on board in charge of a champagne brunchfor all the passengers.

SIA took delivery of the world's first A380 on Oct. 15 at the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France after 18 months of delay. It is to take delivery of another five A380s in 2008.

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