First class seating inside the Airbus A380 parked outside hangar 19 at JFK International Airport in New York March 19. - Reuters

(AP):

The latest jetliner to claim the title of world's biggest passenger aircraft completed its inaugural flight to the United States, flying on football field-length wings and a prayer that airlines will want to shell out US$300 million (?225.5 million) to buy the behemoth double-decker jet.

The four-engine Airbus A380 descended from a sunny sky and touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 12:10 p.m. EDT (1610 GMT) Monday, to the cheers of onlookers. As the plane made its way toward the terminal, a pilot waved an American flag. Minutes later, a separate A380 arrived in Los Angeles, with just a crew and no passengers.

The first U.S. flights are a chance for plane builder Airbus and German airline Lufthansa AG to show off the jewel of Airbus' offerings to potential American buyers and to the airports they hope to turn into flight bases for the jet.

The 239-foot (72.8-metre) long jet can seat 555 passengers in a typical three-class configuration or 853 passengers in a one-class economy setup.

It can hold 81,890 gallons (309,978 litres) of fuel, cruise at 560 mph (901 kph) and fly some 8,000 nautical miles (14,720 kilometres).

Despite the superjumbo's impressive statistics, Airbus has yet to sell any of the planes to U.S. carriers.

160 global orders

Airbus has about 160 global orders from 15 airlines for the new plane, which has already made tests flights in Europe and to Asia.

Lufthansa chiefpilot Juergen Raps, who flew the A380 to New York, said that despite the superjumbo jet's size, it was nimble and responsive.

"If I were to compare it to driving, you would think this would be like driving a truck or a bus," he said inside the plane's cockpit. "It's like driving a Ferrari."

The air show began early Monday at Frankfurt International Airport when the plane took off as Lufthansa Flight 8940 for the eight-hour trip to Kennedy. Onboard were nearly 500 people, including pilots, Airbus crew members, 23 Lufthansa cabin crew and several hundred passengers, mostly Airbus and Lufthansa employees along with some reporters.

The flight operated as if it were a commercial one with full dining and entertainment services.

A separate inaugural Los Angeles flight originated in Toulouse, France. With only 23 people aboard, an Airbus crew flew the A380 to Los Angeles for airport "compatibility" tests.

Paul Haney, deputy executive director for airport and security of Los Angeles World Airports, said the plane made a 'beautiful' landing.

"Although it's the largest commercial airline in the sky, it's quiet and fuel-efficient," said Haney, speaking by telephone from inside the aircraft.

"That means less noise and lower emissions."

Anthony Coscia, chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said Monday's flight marked the beginning of a new era in meeting the New York City area's transportation needs. He says the A380 will generate millions of dollars in economic activity each year.