The Airbus A380, the largest airliner ever built, successfully completed its maiden commercial flight today after months of delays and massive cost overruns.

The superjumbo, a gigantic double-decker that can carry more than 850 people, winged its way in style as 455 passengers enjoyed champagne and caviar on the historic flight from Singapore to Sydney.

Those aboard exploded in three rounds of cheers as the aircraft touched down. Air traffic controllers, who guided the massive plane as it taxied to a stop, called it “the big fella”. “It was a textbook landing,” aviation expert Ian Holland said.

Travellers from around the world booked their seats on the maiden flight in an online charity auction, with one Briton paying USD 100,000 to be among the first to fly the largest passenger plane ever constructed.

“It’s like a party on board,” said top-bidder Julian Hayward, who confessed to being “pampered and spoiled” in his super-premium seat as flight attendants plied the debut passengers on flight SQ80 with gourmet food and drink. The passengers were full of praise for the aircraft’s whisper-quiet engines and the luxury features installed by Singapore Airlines, the launch customer for the new aircraft.

“It was smooth, the plane is much bigger than other planes — even in economy there’s more space,” said Johann Albrechtr from Austria, who paid USD 3,500 for his one-way economy ticket.