Qantas A380 Lands in Melbourne for the First Time

I hope I get a chance to fly on one these the next time I fly the Melbourne to LA route:

QANTAS flew its big bird into Melbourne this morning, bringing the A380 super jumbo in to land in advance of the Grand Final.

Commuters using the Tullamarine Freeway could see the world’s biggest passenger aircraft arrive over the city just before 7.30am.

It left soon afterwards and is due to land in Brisbane at 11.30am as part of a pilot training exercise.

But the 450-seat passenger jet will be back in Melbourne on Saturday and will fly over the MCG before the match.

Qantas A380 services begin on the Melbourne-Los Angeles route on October 20.

Until then the aircraft will take part in ground training, maintenance and promotional activities.

A promotional flight for VIPs, travel agents, frequent flyers and travel writers has been scheduled for October 2.

Adelaide residents will also see the plane on Saturday with it scheduled to land there at 12.15pm. It will be in Perth about 8am on October 14, departing at 1pm that day.

Qantas will take delivery of three A380s by the end of 2008, eight in 2009 and expects to have 20 aircraft in service by the end of 2013. [Herald-Sun]