Marvel of the skies

THE A380 lands at Manchester. Picture courtesy Press Association

The world’s largest passenger plane dwarfs houses below as it came in to land for the first time at Manchester Airport yesterday.

Dubai–based airline Emirates flew the 500-seat Airbus A380 superjumbo into Manchester to open its daily services to Dubai.

The A380 is 236ft long, with a wingspan of 261ft and is 80ft high to the tip of its tail.

Emirates has been operating the A380, whose wings are made in the UK, into Heathrow but this is the first time a regional UK airport has seen one.

The double–deck A380 went into passenger service with Singapore Airlines in October, 2007, and the airline began Heathrow flights the following year.

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are among the carriers due to take delivery of A380s in the next few years.