Last updated: July 29, 2008, 13:53
Hamburg: The first Emirates Airbus A380 has left Hamburg for its new home in Dubai.
Audio: Gulf News's Ashraf Helmi talks to Radio Two about the A380 handover (mp3)
Audio: Gulf News Business reporter Ahmed Elewa tells Radio One about the new plane (mp3)
Video: A380 pilots prepare for Dubai flight
Audio: Gulf News Business reporter Ahmed Elewa tells Radio One about the new plane (mp3)
Video: A380 pilots prepare for Dubai flight
The giant plane left Germany with its cargo of dignitaries and journalists at 11.18am (UAE time) on Tuesday morning, and is due to land in the UAE at around 5pm.
The 489 seat double deck aircraft, which features showers in first class and lounge areas for premium passengers, will go into service on August 1 when it flies to New York.
A380 flight diary:
11.30am (UAE time): We took off shortly after 9.15am (Hamburg time) time and will soon be cruising at 40,000 feet.
11.30am (UAE time): We took off shortly after 9.15am (Hamburg time) time and will soon be cruising at 40,000 feet.
Noon: The media are sitting in business class, breakfast is being served shortly and everyone has spent the past 30 minutes pushing the mass of buttons on their fully reclining seats
1pm: Emirates chairman Shaikh Ahmad bin Saeed Al Maktoum is in first class. The showers are just in front of me so I might try to pop in to freshen up before landing.
1.50pm: I've just popped down to lower deck to check out economy class. It is surprisingly spacious. Seats are bigger than normal I think and the TVs are too. 10.6 inch. It is like a ghost town in here though. Everyone is understandably lording it in business class
The world's largest passenger plane is due to land in Dubai at around 5pm on Tuesday
source: http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Aviation/10232704.html
more pictures : http://www.gulfnews.com/gngalleries/galleries/10232460.html
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