'Superjumbo' unveiled

The world's biggest passenger aircraft was unveiled today - but it is already the focus of controversy.

The Airbus A380 will carry 550 passengers and offer inflight bars and self-service kitchens. But the doubledecker plane, which cost £5.6 billion to develop, is so big Heathrow is spending £450 million to widen its runways. Campaigners say it could cause misery for those living under its flightpath.

Airbus claims: "It will make less noise than its closest competitor, while carrying 30 to 50 per cent more people." But Jon Stewart of anti-noise group Hacan says airports will place the giant plane in their highest noise category.

"It will meet the international standards for new planes - just," he claimed.

"This will be one of the noisiest beasts in the sky. And it is quite ridiculous for Airbus to try and imply it will be a quiet plane just because it is quieter than a 747."

At today's ceremony in Toulouse, Tony Blair joined President Jacques Chirac of France, Chancellor Gerhard Schroder of Germany, Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and the heads of 14 airlines that have ordered the plane at £86 million each.

The British government lent £530 million towards development costs. The wings were designed at Bristol and made at Broughton near Chester.

Airbus claims that, with almost half as much floorspace again as the Boeing 747, the A380 will usher in an airtravel-revolution on a par with that brought by the 747 35 years ago. Airbus has 149 firm orders worth £12.9 billion, and says it needs to sell 250 to break even.

Singapore Airlines will use it for commercial services this summer. BA has yet to buy the plane, while Virgin Atlantic has ordered five.