Australian flag carrier Qantas has started commercial flights with its new Airbus A380 superjumbo.

Flight QF93 from Melbourne to Los Angeles took off early on Monday morning with 450 passengers aboard.

The A380 is due to land in LA at 0730 local time where it will be met by the actor John Travolta, who is an ambassador for the airline.

Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said three A380s will be delivered by the end of 2008, with another eight to follow next year.

Melbourne-Los Angeles Flights

From the end of 2009, there will be daily flights from Melbourne to LA using the A380.

Flights to Heathrow Airport, via Singapore, will begin in January.

Qantas is the third airline to receive A380s after Singapore Airlines and Emirates.

Altogether, there will be 20 A380s in service with Qantas by 2013.

A380 Seating

Seating in the Qantas A380 is configured as follows - 14 First Class, 72 Business Class, 32 Premium Economy, 332 Economy.

The interior cabin is designed by the renowned Australian designer Marc Newson.

On-board facilities include lounges and self-service bars.

The 14 first-class suites contain an armchair with an in-built massager, a 43-centimetre LCD TV and a dining table for two and plenty of storage.

Source - Airport International's Aviation Correspondent

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