Biggest passenger plane, Airbus A380, lands at Bangkok Airport

The world's largest commercial passenger plane, the Airbus A380, touched down at Bangkok's new airport Tuesday, after an 11 hour, 35 minute flight from Toulouse, France, for its first trip to Thailand.

Airbus officials have said they expect the A380 to be certified as airworthy by the end of this year after the 555-seat plane completed its trial flights on Nov. 30.

During the trials, the plane traveled about 127,788 kilometers (69,000 nautical miles) in some 152 flight hours over 18 days, with stops at 10 airports in the Asia-Pacific region.

At Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi international airport, the A380 will be presented to officials from Thai Airways International and Airports of Thailand, Airbus said in a statement.

"Airport compatibility verification tests" will also be undertaken, it added.

Suvarnabhumi Airport, which opened in September, has five gates capable of receiving A380s.

A spokesman for Thai Airways, which has ordered six A380s, said expansion plans envision an extra satellite gate specifically for the superjumbo.

Airbus has received 166 firm orders or commitments for the A380 from 15 airlines.

Singapore Airlines will be the first carrier to fly the superjumbo — it expects to receive its first A380 next October, a year later than initially planned. Other deliveries are expected to be delayed by an average of two years.

The technical trial flights in November took the A380 to Singapore, Seoul in South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan's Narita airport and Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai in China. It also undertook a round-the-world trip via both poles, with stops in South Africa, Australia and Canada.

"At each destination the A380 performed as expected, demonstrating that it can be turned around as per normal airline operations," Airbus said in its statement Tuesday.

The plane is scheduled to fly back to Toulouse on Thursday, it said.