Airbus A380, the world's largest commercial passenger aircraft, took to the skies for the first time on Wednesday, with only the test crew on board, from the Airbus headquarters near Toulouse in southern France.

About 50,000 spectators, officials, spectators and mediapersons cheered as the 308 tonne plane, designed to pose a major challenge to the Boeing 747, flew on its maiden flight.

The double-decker, giant airplane has been designed to carry 555 passengers, but has room for 800.

Airbus is 80 percent owned by EADS, the European aerospace group, and UK defence firm BAE Systems Plc has a 20 percent stake.

Airbus has orders or commitments from 15 customers for 154 of the $285 million aircraft.

The four-engine super jumbo has two decks and can fly 15,000 kilometres non-stop, the distance from Australia to London. It took 11 years of preparation and $13 billion before the first test flight took place.

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The Airbus A380, the world's largest commercial airliner, is seen as it makes its maiden flight on April 27 in Toulouse, Southern France.
Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images