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World's Largest Passenger Plane Completes Maiden Test Flight
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=D23D9C:2AB91D3

Four engine, four-aisle, double-deck aircraft designed to carry 555
passengers, but has room for more than 800





Airbus A380 takes off successfully on maiden flight at Blagnac near
Toulouse, southwestern France, Wednesday

The world's largest passenger plane, the Airbus A-380, has completed
its first test flight.

Thousands watched as the plane took off Wednesday, from an airport
near Airbus headquarters outside the southern French city of Toulouse,
then landed safely nearly four hours later.

French President Jacques Chirac hailed the success of the flight. In a
statement, he called it a "magnificent result of European industrial
cooperation" that encourages the building of a Europe of innovation
and progress.

The plane carried a six-member crew and 20 metric tons of equipment to
monitor in-flight data. The four engine, four-aisle, double-deck
aircraft is designed to carry 555 passengers, but has room for more
than 800.

With its A-380, Airbus hopes to lure customers away from its longtime
rival, U.S.-based Boeing. Boeing's 747 has long dominated the jumbo
jet market.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.


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