Airbus A380 is a large wide-body airliner that was
developed and produced by Airbus. It is the world's largest passenger
airliner and only full-length double-deck jet airliner. Airbus studies
started in 1988, and the project was announced in 1990 to challenge the
dominance of the Boeing 747 in the long-haul market. The then-designated
A3XX project was presented in 1994; Airbus launched the €9.5 billion
($10.7 billion) A380 programme on 19 December 2000. The first prototype
was unveiled in Toulouse on 18 January 2005, with its first flight on 27
April 2005. It then obtained its type certificate from the European
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) on 12 December 2006.