Will this gigantic investment in time, money and infrastructure pay off? For Airbus, that question depends entirely on how many of the new planes it sells. At a cost of somewhere around $250 million each, Airbus says that it needs to sell 250 planes to break even - although many experts think that the number is likely to be nearer 325. So far, it has taken 149 orders from 11 airlines - not yet the number it needs, but like its predecessors such as the Boeing 747, this plane has an expected lifespan measured in decades. There's plenty of time for it to pay for itself yet.

A bigger question is that of the A380's impact on air travel across the industry. Not everyone agrees that Airbus' focus on sheer size is the most cost-effective and efficient way to build the new generation of passenger aircraft, not least because of the disruptive effect on existing airports and terminals. Instead, it is betting its future on a range of smaller, faster and more flexible aircraft that take advantage of existing facilities.

However there is widespread agreement that it is time for change. Boeing's 747 Jumbo jet is still the largest passenger jet in history and is still in widespread use by most major airlines for long-haul travel. But it is 35 years old, and despite its outstanding record is no longer the last word in efficiency or environmental sensitivity.

There is, too, a need for a symbolic new aircraft that reinvigorates our sense of excitement and wonder. Concorde, the most famous and glamorous passenger jet of all, was finally grounded for ever in 2003, three years after a disaster at Paris airport which killed 113 people. After 35 years in the limelight, it finally ran out of steam - and in the process, we lost one of the most potent symbols of travel in our history. The great hope for the A380 is that we may finally get another one.