The Airbus A380, the world's biggest passenger plane to date, made low flights across Victoria Harbor in central Hong Kong in a flying exhibition shortly before the opening of Asia's largest air show on Monday morning.

The superjumbo jet, 72.8 meters long and with a wingspan of 79.8 meters, thrilled spectators at the harbor by flying low against the backdrop of dense skyscrapers nearby. The flight made it possible for people on the ground to have an unusually detailed view.

The plane generated comparatively less noise as it flew over the Victoria Harbor, a spectator was quoted by the local RTHK radio as saying.

The plane arrived at Hong Kong's International Airport at Chek Lap Kok at about 6:30 PM local time on Sunday. It took off from the airport at about 7:53 AM local time on Monday.

Some got up early to gather at the Peak, of a hill on Hong Kong Island, for a closer look at the "big bird." The craft is expected to join about 10 aircraft on display at the Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress being held Monday through Thursday.

The star of the conference scraped an airport building in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday during one of its destinations on an Asian tour of business promotion. The plane suffered slight damages to the left wing but was still able to continue flying, officials said.

The Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong requires such planes to fly at 1,000 feet (305 meters) or above.

The A380 heads to Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday as the final stage of its tour.

The Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress is being held in Hong Kong for the first time in 25 years. The show moved from its original home in Singapore and currently expects 500 exhibiting companies from more than 20 countries and regions and 10,000 trade visitors.

Organizers said that the show dropped exhibitions from the military sector after its move but added exhibitions focusing on aircraft interiors and the air freight sector.

(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2007)