The Airbus A 380 takes off for New York from the airport in Frankfurt, central Germany. For plane builder Airbus and German airline Lufthansa AG, the A380's first flight to North America is a chance to show off the superjumbo to potential U.S. buyers and to airports they hope will be flight bases for the double-decker jet.

First published in the March 19, 2007, 9:07 a.m. edition

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