Superjumbo makes 1st commercial flight to Bangkok

Emirates, the world's top buyer of the Airbus A380 superjumbo, is expanding its service into Asia with the aircraft's first commercial flight to Bangkok on Monday, an airport official said.


An A380 jet, the world's largest passenger airliner, was to set down at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport with nearly 500 passengers from Dubai.


The longest luggage conveyer built will be used, along with four boarding gates, 13 check-in counters and an extra-large departure area to handle the flight, said Serirat Prasutanont, the airport's director.


Serirat said that beginning Monday, the Dubai-based carrier will operate daily A380 flights between Dubai and the Thai capital.


Emirates has ordered 58 of the aircraft, the most booked by any airline.


The airliner made its commercial debut in Asia in October 2007 with a Singapore Airlines flight between Singapore and Sydney.


An Airbus A380 made a technical trial flight from Toulouse, France, to Bangkok in December 2006.


Suvarnabhumi, which opened in September 2006, has five gates capable of receiving A380s.