Singapore Airlines' A380 Takes Flight

The first Airbus A380 aircraft that will be delivered to launch customer Singapore Airlines embarked on its maiden test flight on 7 May 2006. This aircraft will be the world’s first A380 to enter commercial service at the end of the year.

Sporting a tailfin painted with the iconic Singapore Airlines logo, the aircraft took off from the Toulouse Blagnac Airport, Southwest France, at 0830 GMT on Sunday (1630 hours Singapore local time) and returned to base at 1045 GMT (1845 hours Singapore local time). The flight took 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Among the tests completed were the clearing of the flight control systems at all flight levels, as well as the checking of the fuel and autopilot systems. This test flight is part of a series of systems and operational tests that all new aircraft undergo after they are rolled off the Airbus Final Assembly Line in Toulouse.

As of May 2006, five other Singapore Airlines A380s are at various stages of completion at the Airbus Final Assembly Line. Singapore Airlines will be  the first carrier in the world to fly the Airbus A380 in 2006. The A380 will first fly on the Kangaroo route, between London, Singapore and Sydney. The airline has 10 A380s on firm order and another 15 on option. 

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