Designed to challenge Boeing's monopoly in the large aircraft market, the A380 super-jumbo made its first flight in 2005, entering commercial service two years later. So popular is the jet that every four minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, an A380 is taking off or landing somewhere in the world. There is no other development in recent aviation history to rival this remarkable aircraft.

Robert Wicks looks at the A380’s design and construction, its high-tech cockpit and innovative cabin design, the remarkable engineering behind its 22-wheel undercarriage, and the complex nature of the A380’s operation.