The world's biggest passenger plane, the Airbus A380 superjumbo, landed at London's Heathrow airport Tuesday afternoon on its first commercial flight to Europe.
The Singapore Airlines' giant double-decker, Rolls-Royce powered A380 flew from Singapore with more than 470 passengers on the 14-hour journey to London.
Airbus, the A380 manufacturer, claims the aircraft is the quietest and greenest big plane.
It says the plane burns 17 percent less fuel per seat than the current largest airliner, equating to the airliner producing 75 grams of CO2 per passenger and per kilometer.
Green campaigners insist that while cleaner planes are needed, any environmental benefit will be offset by an increase in demand for air travel.
Friends of the Earth spokesman Richard Dyer said: "The A380 has been touted as the new 'environmentally friendly' future of air travel but this claim is misleading, as new technology alone will not solve aviation's impact on climate change."
Heathrow is said to have spent more than 100 million pounds on new facilities to accommodate the super passenger plane on the operating terminal 3, though the airport's new 4.3 billion-pound Terminal 5, officially opened last week, can also take the superjumbo.
British Airways is due to take the first of its ordered A380s in 2012, with Sir Richard Branson's airline, Virgin Atlantic, receiving its first superjumbo in 2013.
Source:Xinhua
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