The first commercial A380 flight will take place on 25 October
Airbus has delivered its first finished A380 superjumbo jet to Singapore Airlines, 18 months behind schedule.
The construction of the A380, able to carry up to 800 passengers, has been beset by persistent and costly delays.
It has also been overshadowed by allegations of insider trading against managers at parent company EADS.
Chief executive Thomas Enders said the delivery of the world's largest aircraft was "the latest milestone in a long journey".
Singapore Airlines took delivery of the double-decker plane at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, at a ceremony attended by more than 500 people.
It will be flown to its new home at Singapore's Changi airport on Wednesday.
The aircraft's first commercial flight will take place on 25 October, when the A380 takes off for Sydney.
"I realise how unsettling recent times, particularly the last 18 months, have been, but that only serves to make this achievement all the more impressive," Mr Enders told Airbus employees at the ceremony.
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