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SINGAPORE : Singapore Airlines' first Airbus A380 superjumbo - the biggest airliner ever built - is set to take to the skies on Thursday for its first commercial flight.
Excitement was building ahead of the scheduled 8:00 am (0000 GMT) take-off of SIA Flight SQ380 from the city-state's Changi Airport, which was due to arrive in Sydney about 7.5 hours later.
The lucky passengers aboard the hulking double-decker A380 bought their seats in an online charity auction.
Top bidder Julian Hayward, a 38-year-old Briton who lives in Sydney, paid more than 100,000 US dollars for what he called a "little bit of history". He will fly in seat 1A.
For others, a little bit of history will come much cheaper.
Austrian man Georg Burdicek paid just 560 dollars for his economy seat, the cheapest one sold during the auction, a report said.
Even the top ticket price is a pittance compared to the estimated six billion dollars in overruns that the European manufacturer endured to get its plane off the ground. It was delivered to Singapore Airlines 18 months late.
"The October 25, 2007 entry into service of the A380 truly represents the beginning of a new era," the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), a consultancy, said in a report.
Instead of a budget set-up, Singapore Airlines has installed just 471 seats to offer more space, particularly in business and first class.
SIA's version has 399 economy seats, 60 business seats, and a "suites" class of 12 compartments with flat-screen televisions about the size of a briefcase, sheets by French designer Givenchy and a full-length bed behind sliding doors.
After Thursday's inaugural flight, regular service to Sydney is to begin on Sunday.
Superjumbo service on the Singapore-London route will start in February, and Japan could come later, according to SIA executives.
Rival Boeing has put its energies into developing a midsized airplane, the 787 Dreamliner, which has secured at least 710 orders.
In contrast, Airbus has 180 firm orders and commitments to buy the superjumbo.
Dubai-based Emirates ordered 55 A380s, making it the leading client on a list of predominantly Asian, European and Gulf-based customers. Qantas will get the A380 next year.
Tom Ballantyne, chief correspondent for industry publication Orient Aviation, said SIA will have "a huge marketing edge" for almost the next year until other carriers start flying the A380. - AFP/de
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