THE world’s biggest airliner flew into Heathrow yesterday as British Airways took delivery of the UK’s first double-decker superjumbo.

BA's A380 arriving Heathrow

The 530-ton Airbus A380, one of 12 ordered by BA in a £5billion investment, landed to huge cheers from flag-waving staff. It had earlier been officially handed over to the airline at European plane-maker Airbus’s HQ in Toulouse, France.

The A380 has a 231ft wingspan, half as big again as a conventional Boeing 747 jumbo, and contains enough wiring to stretch from London to Edinburgh.

It has 50 per cent more floor space than a 747 and can hold 840 passengers. But BA intends to carry 469, giving them extra seat space and legroom. There will be just 14 seats in first class, with passengers in that section getting almost a third more space than on other BA aircraft.

                                                

                                             

BA chief executive Keith Williams said: “It is a fantastic aircraft and our customers are going to love it. “This exciting delivery opens a new chapter in BA’s history.”

Despite its size, the four Rolls-Royce engines on the A380 have been designed to be 50 per cent quieter on take-off and more fuel-efficient.

Fares for the first BA superjumbo flight to Los Angeles will start from £621 return, with the first to Hong Kong from £688 return.

Singapore Airlines was the first carrier to operate the A380, beginning with a flight to Sydney in 2008. Virgin Atlantic is due to take delivery of the first of six A380s it has on order in 2018.

Source: Sun UK