Chief operating officer with Airbus John Leahy said: “Just as the 747 was a game-changing plane for the 20th century, so the A380 is a game-changing plane for the 21st.

“The 747 was a great plane for its day, designed to the technical standards of 1968. You didn’t have the new tough and light materials, such as carbon fibre. And you didn’t have the new fly-by- wire technology which makes flying (the A380) like flying a simulator on your laptop.”

The A380 is due to arrive in Melbourne today at about 12.30pm before returning to Brisbane at about 10am tomorrow, where it will be part of celebrations to mark the 85th birthday of Qantas.

CARRYING kegs of water rather than passengers, the Airbus A380 at present is nothing but a mess of empty decks, exposed wires, pipes and insulation — a long way from the luxury its owners ultimately intend.

The world’s biggest passenger plane arrived in Australia over the weekend on its first long-haul test flight. Everything about it is being closely monitored by computers, test pilots and technicians.

The water acts as ballast to help measure the effect on performance of a full complement of passengers.

Costing $390million, with a seating capacity of 800, the A380 spans the length and width of a football field.

It attracted hundreds of plane spotters when it arrived from Europe, flying from Brisbane to Sydney yesterday morning and making several passes over theHarbour Bridge and Opera House before landing.

The plane stands seven storeys high and weighs 560 tonnes, fully loaded. It is set to revolutionise the economics of air travel to and from Australia.

Test pilot Captain Jacques Rosay described the plane as “incredible”. “You fly the aircraft like a light plane, it is very, very easy to fly.”

He said the biggest change for the pilots was the interactive nature of the technology, for example, being able to point at objects on the radar screen and then request data.

Chief operating officer with Airbus John Leahy said: “Just as the 747 was a game-changing plane for the 20th century, so the A380 is a game-changing plane for the 21st.

“The 747 was a great plane for its day, designed to the technical standards of 1968. You didn’t have the new tough and light materials, such as carbon fibre. And you didn’t have the new fly-by- wire technology which makes flying (the A380) like flying a simulator on your laptop.”

The A380 can travel 15,000km without refuelling, so Melbourne to Los Angeles non-stop is not a problem.

It is half as noisy as a 747, both inside and out.

The A380 is due to arrive in Melbourne today at about 12.30pm before returning to Brisbane at about 10am tomorrow, where it will be part of celebrations to mark the 85th birthday of Qantas.

Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti said the Qantas fit-out of the planes would provide for just under 500 passengers — 300 less than capacity — with the luxury and space not just confined to first and business class seats.

For the first time, lounges will be included in economy class.

The first A380 is due to be delivered to Qantas in April 2007, and will begin with flights between Melbourne and LA. A further 11 will be phased in by 2009.

NSW Minister for Tourism Sandra Nori said the added capacity of the A380 would make it easier, more comfortable and more economical for overseas visitors to travel to Australia.

AIR QUALITY

– ………………………… Boeing 747 ……. Airbus A380

Length ………………… 70.7m ………….. 73m

Cabin width ………….. 6.1m ……………. Main deck: 6.6m Upper deck: 5.9m

Wingspan …………….. 64.4m ………….. 79.8m

Max. takeoff weight … 412 tonnes ……. 560 tonnes

Fuel capacity ………… 241,000 litres … 310,000 litres

Range …………………. 14,200km ……… 15,000km

* Airbus A380 Features: improved seats; lounge areas; audio/ video on demand; internet capability; entertainment screens for all passengers

Also published on news.com.au as Air travel’s new era arrives.