Airbus unveils “superjumbo” jet

Airbus unveils “superjumbo” jet

Airbus unveils “superjumbo” jet

   European aircraft manufacturer Airbus unveiled today the A380, its new superjumbo aircraft, before hundreds of guests and several European leaders including Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schroeder at a ceremony in Toulouse, France.
   The A380 is now the world’s-largest passenger plane, overtaking the Boeing 747 jumbo.
   The twin-deck aircraft can carry about 555 people. The three-deck    long-range freighter version, the A380F, will be able to carry up to 152 tons of cargo on standard pallets over distances of up to 5,600 nautical miles (10,400 kilometers).
   The European Commission described the Airbus A 380, developed after receiving subsidized loans, as a “European success story.”
   The launch of the super jumbo was made only days after the European Union and the United States agreed to discuss the resolution of their dispute over subsidies paid to Airbus and Boeing.
   The BBC reported that Airbus has secured 149 confirmed orders for the A380, developed at a cost of $11 billion. Federal Express has ordered 10 of them.