The size of the aircraft is already been flying as the AN225 which is the russian space shuttle transport. It is now just a large heavy lift "for rent " aircraft. It grosses at 1.3 million Lbs. max takeoff weight.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=568023
The A380 will gross at 1.2 million Lbs.
Not many airlports will be able to handle the size and passenger Customs clearing load. But they large international airport, KJFK, KLAX, KSFO, Heathrow etc are preparing for them. Some taxiway clearence/weight issues and passenger volume problems.
Airbus. I personally don't like there philosophy of operating an aircraft. thru their onboard computer you are allowed to operate the aircraft within its set envelope. And no more, ever. Flying a low pass and get behind the power curve, you can't over boost the engines to get you away from the ground, You settle into the trees just as the Airbus test pilots did in a demo flight.
Actually the one group of pilots who have crashed the Airbus more than any other group are the Airbus test pilots, 3 seperate times.
Also the only other aircraft where I have heard of a tail coming off, besides the American A300 was a B52 in extreme turbulence. It landed safety. Our airbus crashed killing all on board.
Do I like Airbus, No. Just don't like the way they design there systems.
Another story, A Nothwest Airbus shot a approach to MSP. At 200' agl the aircraft went around and entered the missed approach holding pattern. They could not get the aircraft to leave the holding pattern. In my S80 I have flight controls that operate cables our on the wing and tail. I can overpower the autopilot. ON a airbus you are operting the computer which operates the aircraft.
The northwest crew in a teleconference with Airbus was told to momentarily turn off all the power to the aircraft and the computers would go to a basic mode. I don't think that Control/ Alternate Delete should be an emergency backup system in an aircraft.
Just my 2 cents.
Dave