Brussels, 27/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Airbus A380, the world's largest civil aircraft and the brainchild of a vast industrial network comprising 16 sites in France, Germany, the UK and Spain, carried out its first test flight from the airport of Toulouse-Blagnac on Wednesday. The enormous Airbus aircraft, which can seat between 550 and 800 passengers, will enter into service in the second half of 2006 after over a year of trials. “The take-off of the new Airbus A380 is a European success story. The development of the A380 shows what Europe can do when it works together and invests in skills, research and technology. This Super Airbus is the proof that cooperation within the EU pays off and shows that with a well-designed framework policy, European industry can succeed in the high-technology sectors”, said Commissioner for Industry Günter Verheugen.