Decked out in the blue and gold of launch customer Singapore Airlines, the A380 was en route from France, where Airbus officials finally saw off the giant plane after 18 months of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns.

Production problems on the double-decker behemoth embarrassed the European manufacturer, a bitter rival of US firm Boeing, but Singapore Airlines (SIA) stuck with its initial order of 10 planes and later ordered nine more.

'Although it has taken more time than initially anticipated, the A380 is well worth the wait,' SIA chief executive Chew Choon Seng said at a ceremony in France on Monday, when the airline took possession of the first airliner.

Mr Chew hailed a 'new chapter in the history of aviation' with the A380, which will make its first commercial flight on October 25 between Singapore and Sydney.

Seats on that flight were sold in an auction for charity on the eBay online marketplace. Regular service on the route begins on Oct 28.

Super-size
The superjumbo is enormous - each wing could hold about 72 cars, and each plane contains more than 500km of wiring. It could carry 853 passengers in an all-economy configuration.

But in what could be a trend for the aircraft, 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 58cm flat-screen televisions, sheets by French designer Givenchy and a full-length bed behind sliding doors.

'The impact of Singapore Airlines' cabin innovations will ripple out across the industry,' Airbus chief executive Thomas Enders said.

SIA, which early on began advertising that it would be 'first to fly' the A380, had expressed disappointment with holdups in the superjumbo.

Delivery was delayed by 18 months and Airbus estimated the cost overruns at around US$6.8 billion (S$9.9 billion).

But all was forgotten on Wednesday as the airline took out full-page advertisements in Asia to herald its Suites class and trumpet the arrival of the plane, which was due to touch down in Singapore at 6.30pm.

Ministerial welcome
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, SIA chairman Stephen Lee, and Airbus chief executive officer John Leahy were to give welcoming speeches at a ceremony at the city-state's Changi Airport.

The prime minister was to tour the plane after its arrival.

The A380 problems over the past two years provoked management changes as well as a politically sensitive cost-cutting plan at Airbus.

Most recently, the plane was at the centre of an insider-trading scandal, with top managers and key shareholders suspected of selling shares in parent company EADS before the A380 production problems were made public.

But 16 airlines have placed firm orders for the A380, with Dubai-based Emirates the leading client on a customer list of predominantly Asian, European and Gulf-based carriers.

Airbus says the A380 will offer the lowest cost per passenger of any airliner flying and will also emit less carbon dioxide per passenger and significantly reduce noise at takeoff and landing.

'The big step coming with these aircraft is the economics of it, the efficiency of it,' said Tom Ballantyne, chief correspondent for industry publication Orient Aviation.

The A380 will gradually replace SIA's Boeing 747 jumbos.

'More than simply a big airplane, the newest industry flagship will change forever the way the industry operates,' the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation consultancy said in a report.

Mr Ballantyne said SIA will have the A380 market to itself for almost the next year, until Australian carrier Qantas takes delivery of its first superjumbo.

'It's a Singapore Airlines thing, being first,' Ballantyne said. 'It gives them a huge marketing edge.' -- AFP