Oct. 15 - Airbus hands over the first A380 to Singapore Airlines, 18 months later than expected, while denying fresh delays to the superjumbo.

The first delivery of an A380 marks the culmination of Europe's biggest industrial project which has taken 7 years of effort and cost 11 billion euros ($15.5 billion).

Problems with installation of wiring in the superjumbo delayed the A380 project by two years and pushed the planemaker into loss.

But Airbus sales chief John Leahy denied reports in a French newspaper that Airbus remained worried about deliveries and had launched a new set of measures to weed out any further delays.

The plane received by Singapore Airlines can seat 471 people and will enter service between Singapore and Sydney on 25th October.

Joanna Partridge reports for Reuters