Designed to challenge Boeing's monopoly in the large aircraft market, the A380 super-jumbo made its first flight in 2005, entering commercial service two years later. So popular is the jet that every four minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, an A380 is taking off or landing somewhere in the world. Robert Wicks looks at the A380 s design and construction, its high-tech cockpit and innovative cabin design, the remarkable engineering behind its 22-wheel undercarriage, and the complex nature of the A380 s operation
