Two different engines, Rolls-Royce Trent 900 and Engine Alliance GP 7200, will be used to power the A380.

Four engines are mounted on each double-decker aircraft, which weighs almost 100 tonnes more than its main competitor, the Boeing 747.

Despite being bigger and heavier, Airbus says the A380 makes half as much noise and burns 12% less fuel than the 747, largely because of its efficient engines, its wing design and its use of lightweight composite material.