More comfort than ever before: The A380 has bigger seats and more space between them.

It is also more fuel efficient -- burning 1.3 gallons per passenger per 100 miles, which the company says is comparable to the fuel economy of a small turbo-diesel car.

The A380 will fly on the busiest routes. Singapore Airlines will be the first to fly the A380 in mid-2006 on high-traffic routes, especially to London, New York, Tokyo and Sydney.

BAA, the London Heathrow airport operator, is spending $847 million in terminal and airfield modifications to accommodate the super jumbo. Some pilots feel that the size of the plane could be a problem during emergencies when it is required to land at smaller airfields which cannot accommodate it.

Photograph: Airbus/Getty Images

Also see: The Tata legacy