Now you can hop on a double-decker bus to Sydney
IS IT a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a superjumbo? No, it's a storm.
The first commercial flight of the world's largest passenger jet is scheduled to fly down the harbour this afternoon, but the weather may rain on its parade.
The giant double-decker aircraft - Airbus's long-awaited response to Boeing's 747 - has 50 per cent more floor space than the jumbo, which was introduced in 1970.
The Singapore Airlines A380 is scheduled to land at Kingsford Smith at 5.25pm, but Sydney Airport is trying to deter sightseers from going anywhere near it. It has urged planespotters to watch it as it flies down the harbour from 4.45pm, but that fly-by at about 700 metres is dependent on the weather.
If it goes ahead, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting mostly cloudy weather, showers and possibly afternoon thunderstorms, you may not see a lot.
A Sydney Airport spokesman said the A380, which can weigh as much as 560 tonnes - 160 tonnes more than a maxed-out Jumbo - can land on both the north-south and east-west runways and its approach will depend on today's weather.
With north/north-easterly winds forecast, the plane is likely to take Sydney's most spectacular approach, flying over Botany Bay to land on the main north-south runway, said Ian Woods, the president of the Australian and International Pilots Association.
That would mean it would fly directly over Kurnell and past the planespotters' paradise - the Molineaux Point breakwater at Port Botany, which will be open to traffic until 6pm.
The A380 can carry 853 passengers in full economy mode but Singapore's version will be configured with 471 seats in three classes: 399 in economy, 60 business and 12 "suites".
A suite, which has a full-length bed, Givenchy sheets and a 58cm flat-screen TV, all behind sliding doors, costs about $10,000 plus taxes on the Singapore route.
If you think that's steep, Julian Hayward, a 38-year-old Briton based in Sydney, paid $123,000 for seat 1A on the maiden flight. All the seats for the first two flights were auctioned on eBay, with $1.44 million raised for charities.
IS IT a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a superjumbo? No, it's a storm.
The first commercial flight of the world's largest passenger jet is scheduled to fly down the harbour this afternoon, but the weather may rain on its parade.
The giant double-decker aircraft - Airbus's long-awaited response to Boeing's 747 - has 50 per cent more floor space than the jumbo, which was introduced in 1970.
The Singapore Airlines A380 is scheduled to land at Kingsford Smith at 5.25pm, but Sydney Airport is trying to deter sightseers from going anywhere near it. It has urged planespotters to watch it as it flies down the harbour from 4.45pm, but that fly-by at about 700 metres is dependent on the weather.
If it goes ahead, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting mostly cloudy weather, showers and possibly afternoon thunderstorms, you may not see a lot.
A Sydney Airport spokesman said the A380, which can weigh as much as 560 tonnes - 160 tonnes more than a maxed-out Jumbo - can land on both the north-south and east-west runways and its approach will depend on today's weather.
With north/north-easterly winds forecast, the plane is likely to take Sydney's most spectacular approach, flying over Botany Bay to land on the main north-south runway, said Ian Woods, the president of the Australian and International Pilots Association.
That would mean it would fly directly over Kurnell and past the planespotters' paradise - the Molineaux Point breakwater at Port Botany, which will be open to traffic until 6pm.
The A380 can carry 853 passengers in full economy mode but Singapore's version will be configured with 471 seats in three classes: 399 in economy, 60 business and 12 "suites".
A suite, which has a full-length bed, Givenchy sheets and a 58cm flat-screen TV, all behind sliding doors, costs about $10,000 plus taxes on the Singapore route.
If you think that's steep, Julian Hayward, a 38-year-old Briton based in Sydney, paid $123,000 for seat 1A on the maiden flight. All the seats for the first two flights were auctioned on eBay, with $1.44 million raised for charities.
