Airbus has now flown five A380s, and Singapore Airline's first plane is in Hamburg getting its cabin fitted. Qantas, Singapore and Emirates are among the airlines to have ordered the big planes and Airbus says many start-up airlines are planning three-class configurations with 500 or fewer seats, well below Airbus's 555-seat optimum set-up.
Airlines are not revealing details of what they plan to do with the extra floor space on the plane - it has up to 50 per cent more floor space than a Boeing 747-400 - but a mock-up at Airbus's Toulouse headquarters uses parts already in production and suggests airlines are planning big increases in comfort.
By last Friday, A380s had logged 1437.5 hours in the air on 415 flights as it moves closer to certification. Officials say the flight test program is on track and they do not envisage any delays beyond the six months already announced.
Launch customer Singapore Airlines expects to receive its first plane in November before launching the first A380 scheduled service to Sydney in December.
"At this time, the delivery schedule is the one we're committed to and the one we're sticking to," Burger says.
Derrick Loh, a Singapore Airlines engineer and inspector based in Toulouse, agrees with the manufacturer's assessment. "It's proceeding as planned," says Loh, who says there have been minor problems, but nothing major recently.
Tests so far have largely met expectations and even produced a number of pleasant surprises -- such as a lower than expected approach speed and good handling characteristics with virtually no buffet, even at the edge of the aerodynamic envelope.
In the last year, engineers have probed the aircraft's aerodynamics, its ability to land in wet weather, what loads its landing gear can take, how well it can be evacuated and how it withstands weather extremes.
It has successfully negotiated several airports and proved it can dock at terminals and negotiate taxiways. It is easily serviced by both aerobridges and vehicles.
Steve Creedy travelled to Toulouse courtesy of Singapore Airlines and Airbus
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