The ceremony was attended by 5,000 guests, including the leaders of four countries whose companies make up the Airbus consortium -- French President Jacques Chirac, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
The statement described the launch of the A380 as the most important political and economic event in the European Union at the start of 2005, saying that the four countries "reaffirmed the values of the unity of knowledge, technology and economic strength of the EU countries in carrying out the most demanding tasks with top results".
The Airbus A380 is 15 metres wider, four metres higher, two metres longer and 118 tonnes heavier than the Boeing 747-400, which has been the largest aircraft in the world for decades. The Boeing could seat 416 passengers, while the new A380 can accommodate up to 800 passengers.