![]() ![]() The UK’s Hawker Siddeley joined in, as did Dutch Fokker-VFW and in 1971, Spanish CASA purchased some shares in the venture. Initial shareholders were France’s Aérospatiale and West Germany’s Deutsche Airbus. In 1970, Airbus Industrie GIE was formed as a consortium of European aircraft manufacturers. Eventually, some European aircraft builders came to the conclusion that to compete with the Americans, they needed to collaborate. European manufacturers had novel designs, but not the production to go up to bat against America’s manufacturers. America’s Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Lockheed were powerhouses that enjoyed strong sales from the popular American air transport market. A Look Back AirbusĪs Airways Magazine notes, European aircraft manufacturers in the 1960s wanted to compete with America’s manufacturers with innovative aircraft. At 8:15 local time, Flight SQ380 rotated towards the skies and into the history books. Eventually, Singapore Airlines CEO Chew Choon Seng cut a yellow ribbon, beginning boarding for the first A380 flight. Passengers for the flight arrived in the early morning hours. Passengers, as Airways Magazine wrote, had to bid for seats on the aircraft, with proceeds going to charity. Singapore Airlines, the aircraft’s launch customer, set up a display at Singapore Changi Airport, noting that the Octoflight was going to be the first commercial flight in the world for the new plane. But with halted production and lower than expected numbers, it’s also a plane built for an era coming to an end.Īs Airways Magazine writes, the first passenger flight of the Airbus A380 was a momentous occasion. The aircraft, notable for being the world’s largest passenger airliner and only double-decker jet with full-length decks, remains a majestic sight in the skies. October 25 marks 15 years since the first Airbus A380s entered into passenger service. This week marks a pretty awesome anniversary in aviation history.
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