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With final A380 test flight, Airbus draws a heart in the German sky

Airbus MSN272 Heart Flight Path
Posted at 1:29 PM, Dec 15, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-15 14:29:21-05

Airbus is preparing to make the final delivery of its iconic A380 jumbo jet in the coming days. With the model officially being retired following the delivery, Airbus officials decided to send the A380 out with extra love.

Flight Radar 24 reports that Airbus pilots routed the A380's final test flight in the shape of a heart over northeast Germany.

The test flight took off from an Airbus facility at Hamburg-Finkenwerder Airport and took a haphazard tour of the region. But before returning to the airport, test pilots drew a miles-wide heart in the German sky.

According to CNN, the Airbus A380 has been flying since 2007. The massive plane can carry up to 850 passengers on a single flight.

CNN reports that the plane is "the largest mass-produced civil airliner in history."

Airbus announced it would stop producing the A380 in 2019 and has since pivoted to making smaller and more fuel-efficient aircraft.

The final A380, registered as MSN 272, will be delivered to Emirates Airlines later this month.