Airbus has taken the A380 aircraft on two demonstration tours covering Russia, South Korea, La Reunion, Mauritius, Dubai and Ethiopia, and including two air shows.

The A380 used for this demonstration is an Airbus flight test aircraft, which is used for tasks that include product development, the integration of new innovative equipment and pilot training.

A380 is a 525-seat aircraft that can travel up to 8,200nm at Mach 0.89.

The tours will enable potential future customers to view the aircraft and also observe compatibility demonstrations.

The first trip began on 15 October 2009 with a inaugural stop in Russia followed by a stopover in south Korea, where it is participating in the Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition 2009.

The aircraft will perform daily flying presentations at Seoul until 25 October and also will be on static display.

The second A380 tour will take place in November 2009 when the aircraft will make a first stop in La Reunion followed by a visit to Mauritius before continuing for a participation in the Dubai Air Show from 15 to 19 November.

Following its appearance at the Dubai Air Show, the A380 tour will make a final stopover in Ethiopia to demonstrate high-altitude landing operations.