Qantas Puts World's Largest Plane On Longest Route -- To DFW
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Qantas is putting the world's biggest passenger plane on the world's longest airline route.
A Qantas Airbus A380 touched down Monday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, about 15 hours after leaving Sydney, Australia, on the 8,578-mile journey.
The double-deck, four-engine jet was greeted with a water-cannon salute, then taxied to a gate that was configured just for the behemoth.
There were 484 passengers on the inaugural flight, according to a Qantas spokesman.
DFW, a large airport with connecting flights throughout the U.S. and Latin America, is an ideal place for the plane and the route.
Actor and Qantas Ambassador John Travolta was at DFW Airport to mark the occasion. "It's exciting news for Americans that the world's biggest and one of the most luxurious passenger aircraft is now flying between Dallas/Fort Worth and Sydney," he said.
The A380's size limits its appeal. Smaller planes such as Boeing's latest, the 787 or Dreamliner, are more economical on many routes.
Qantas has previously flown the route with other aircraft.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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