KEY POINTS:
The world's largest passenger jet touched down in Sydney from Singapore last night - the first commercial flight for the superjumbo.
The gigantic double-decker Airbus 380 has 50 per cent more floor space than Boeing's 747.
The plane, part of the Singapore Airlines fleet, is so big that airports around the world are having to modify their runways to accommodate it. Auckland has set aside $27 million for the work.
"We are also building a second pier which will have the appropriate air bridges for loading and off-loading passengers from the A380," said an Auckland Airport spokeswoman.
The jet can carry 853 passengers in full economy mode but Singapore Airlines' version will have 471 seats in three classes: 399 in economy, 60 in business and 12 first-class suites.
Each suite is located behind a sliding door and has a full-length bed and a 58cm flat-screen TV and costs about A$10,000 plus taxes on the Singapore-Sydney route.
All the seats for the first two flights were auctioned on eBay, and $1.44 million was raised for charities.
Julian Hayward, a 38-year-old Briton based in Sydney, paid $123,000 for seat 1A on the maiden flight, which
took just over seven hours. On board were 455 passengers, 30 crew and four pilots.
"I have never been in anything like this in the air before in my life," said Australian Tony Elwood, reclining with his wife, Julie, on the double bed in their private first-class suite.
"It is going to make everything else after this simply awful," he said, sipping Dom Perignon rosé after a lunch of marinated lobster and double boiled chicken soup.
He paid $67,485 for the tickets.
