Airbus superjumbo lands at New York's JFK

By Bill Rigby

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Airbus's A380 superjumbo touched down at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday, marking the first commercial arrival of the giant, double-decker passenger plane on U.S. soil.

The Emirates EMAIR.UL aircraft, carrying 489 passengers in varying degrees of luxury, landed smoothly and on time after a 13-1/2-hour flight from Dubai.

"Some of us were lucky, we had showers before got off the airplane," Emirates President Tim Clark said, shortly after disembarking, losing no time in marketing the plane's two "shower spas", 14 first-class suites, bar and lounge.

The plane, fitted out with lie-flat beds, flat screen televisions and spacious, windowed bathrooms in first and business class, is set to return to Dubai on Friday evening.

Emirates, owned by the government of Dubai, is the second airline to put the A380 into service, following Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), which started A380 flights to Sydney in October.

The plane, costing $327 million at list prices, did visit New York and Los Angeles in March last year for route-testing purposes, but Friday's flight was the first regularly scheduled arrival of an A380 in the United States.

With its huge capacity and relatively fuel-efficient engines, airlines hope the world's biggest passenger jet will be the most cost-effective way of serving high-volume routes linking big cities, especially in light of soaring oil prices.

Airbus, part of aerospace group EADS (EAD.PA), says an A380 uses up to 20 percent less fuel per seat than a Boeing 747, and claims that when fully loaded and flying long distances it is more fuel efficient, per passenger, than a small family car.