Airbus A380 flies to the United States

Airbus will fly its A380 superjumbo to the United States for the first time on Monday, hoping the world's largest passenger jet will catch on with American travellers and win over sceptical US airlines.

The 555-seat, double-decker plane with a wingspan almost the length of an American football field has racked up 156 orders so far, but none from US airlines, which usually prefer Boeing planes.

Signing up a US airline would be a huge financial and morale boost for troubled Airbus.