AP: Airbus makes landing in Asia

Airbus makes landing in Asia

By Eileen Ng, Associated Press
Long Beach Press Telegram

SINGAPORE — The double-decker Airbus A380 made its first landing in Asia on Friday, and Airbus officials said Asian airlines that have ordered the superjumbo will be compensated for delivery delays.

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In its first long-haul test flight outside of Europe, the giant airliner touched down shortly after 10:00 a.m. at Singapore's Changi Airport after completing a 13-hour flight covering 8,389 miles from Airbus' headquarters in Toulouse, southwest France.

The great white jet, as tall as a seven-story building and stretching about three-quarters of the length of a soccer field, taxied down the runway amid tight security as hundreds of excited travelers and airport staff looked on.

The A380 prototype was originally due to arrive Tuesday in Singapore the first stop of an Asian-Pacific tour that includes Australia and Malaysia but Airbus postponed the trip three days to replace two of the plane's four engines.

Associated Press writer Gillian Wong contributed to this story from Singapore.

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