1 September 2010 Last updated at 09:07 ET

Giant Airbus A380 lands at Manchester Airport

Thousands of spectators watched the plane land in Manchester on Wednesday

The world's largest commercial airliner, the Airbus A380, has landed at Manchester Airport for the first time.

The 517-seat double-decker plane, Emirates flight EK017, arrived from Dubai at just after 1225 BST.

Manchester is the first regional airport in the world to have a daily A380 service. The jet has flown into London Heathrow since 2008.

Thousands of people were at the airport to see the plane touch down.

One of the spectators told the BBC: "This is amazing. Once in a lifetime. It is a world first."

Another added: "It's fantastic to see it land for the first time. I think it is a monumental occasion."

The huge plane went into passenger service with Singapore Airlines in October 2007. Flights began arriving at Heathrow in March 2008.

Manchester Airport has invested more than £10m in the past 18 months upgrading its airfield to accommodate the plane.