PARIS, France 3 Jan 2009. Airbus officials say the company reached its target of delivering 12 A380 aircraft in 2008, bringing the total number of A380s delivered to date to 13.

The first A380 was delivered to Singapore Airlines on 15 October 2007, with five more delivered to the airline in 2008. Qantas received three A380s in 2008, and Emirates four – the most recent of which was delivered on 30 December 2008 from the Airbus delivery center in Hamburg, Germany.

"We have met our 2008 delivery schedule," says Tom Enders, Airbus President and Chief Executive Officer. "That was only possible thanks to a tremendous team effort. This gives us a good basis to further ramp up our production in 2009. With the in-service fleet steadily growing, our airline customers are benefiting from lower operating costs while their passengers are benefiting from unequalled cabin comfort and quietness. The environment is benefiting too – with lower emissions and noise, the A380 is the most eco-efficient aircraft in service today."

The in-service A380 fleet has flown more than 21,000 revenue flight hours in more than 2,200 commercial flights carrying more than 890,000 passengers. The world's first full double-deck aircraft is now connecting four continents and flying on seven major international routes. A380s in service link Singapore with Sydney, London and Tokyo, Dubai with New York and London, and Sydney and Melbourne with Los Angeles.

The A-380 in-service experience has shown that the A380 consumes 20 percent less fuel per seat than the previous largest aircraft, representing the lowest fuel burn of any large aircraft ever.

Orders for the aircraft stand at 198 from 16 customers.