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Dubai:Emirates Airline unveiled a new landmark for London, a giant model of an Airbus A380 at the gateway to Heathrow Airport.
The 45-tonne world-record contender was unveiled at the Emirates Roundabout by the airline's President Tim Clark.
The completion of the giant A380 replica is the culmination of an ambitious 18-month project to place the Dubai-based carrier at the gateway to the world's busiest international airport, and at one of the most prestigious advertising sites in the UK.
Tim Clark said: "The gateway to the world's busiest international airport is a fitting home for Emirates. We expect this landmark site to become an icon for both Heathrow and Emirates. While the previous Concorde model represented the past, our A380 represents the future and it is a future of cleaner, quieter aircraft."
The one third-scale model was flown in ten component parts to Heathrow on July 5. Since then, specialist teams have been working around the clock to launch Emirates' "first" A380.
The replica was built by US-based Penwal at its manufacturing base in California over a six month period, using plans provided by the A380's manufacturer, Airbus in Toulouse. It was then transported by giant truck to Ontario Airport in Los Angeles where it was flown to Heathrow aboard a massive Antonov cargo plane, organised by the Emirates SkyCargo team.
The world's leading aviation museum, The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, has stated it is the largest known aircraft model in existence. A world record submission is currently with Guinness World Records.
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