BA looks forward to 'A380 era'

British Airways has looked forward to the era of the Airbus A380 ahead of the superjumbo's arrival in the UK.

Singapore Airlines will fly one of its A380s into Heathrow Airport tomorrow, marking the first time the aircraft has landed at a UK base on passenger service.

British Airways engineers will handle maintenance on the plane as part of the airline's preparations for its own delivery of the giant Airbus craft.

The flag-carrier will eventually receive 12 A380s, with the first coming in April 2012, making it the first UK airline to operate the aircraft.

Robert Boyle, British Airways' commercial director, said: "Just as Terminal 5 enables us to improve the customer experience on the ground, the A380 will give us the opportunity to raise standards in all cabins.

"We see the A380 as a catalyst for change and our goal will be to offer the very best of onboard hospitality and overall journey experience."

British Airways will eventually have the largest Heathrow-based fleet of A380s and will have approximately 200 of its pilots allocated to the plane.