A cut above the rest: The staircase that takes you from one deck to the other too is tastefully done.

To date as many as 13 customers have made orders for 139 A380s. These include 11 airlines, one express cargo carrier (FedEx, 10 aircraft) and one leasing company (ILFC, 10 aircraft). The airlines include Emirates, (43 aircraft, plus 2 leased planes); Lufthansa (15 aircraft), Qantas (12 aircraft), Singapore Airlines (10 aircraft), Air France (10 aircraft), Virgin Atlantic (6 aircraft), Malaysia Airlines (6 aircraft), Thai Airlines (6 aircraft), Korean Air (5 aircraft), Etihad (4 aircraft) and Qatar Airways (2 aircraft).

The A380's modules are pre-assembled at Airbus plants around Europe and transported by sea, river barge and then road to Toulouse in south-west France for final assembly.

Photograph: GEORGES GOBET/AFP/Getty Images

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