A DERWENTSIDE engineering company is helping the world's biggest passenger aircraft take flight.

The Airbus A380, launched in France this week, is being heralded as a revolution in air travel. The giant aircraft can carry 555 passengers - 35 per cent more than the current largest airliner.

It has 13 per cent less fuel burn than its closest competitor and consumes less than three litres of fuel per passenger over 100 kilometres - a fuel burn comparable to a modern diesel car.

Part of the aircraft's 46m long wing has been designed and manufactured in Consett.

Aerospace Systems and Technologies (AS&T) is supplying Airbus with trailing edge wing spars and stringers for the A380.

The contract will bring in £5.4m a year, about 15 per cent of its £36m annual turnover and has secured 50 jobs for the next five years. Chief executive Owen McFarlane said: "It is a big coup for a small company in Consett to be a significant partner in the A380 programme."

Airbus is the firm's largest customer, but it also supplies BAE Systems and Raytheon.

AS&T, which employs 249 people, started work three years ago on the A380 project.

Staff spent two and a half years on the design phase and the plant, on the Number One Industrial Estate, has been manufacturing parts for the past six months.

Mr McFarlane said: "We have been able to secure 50 jobs until 2009.

Because this is a long term contract, we have also been able to increase our capacity at the plant."

Across the UK, the airbus project has helped to secure 22,000 jobs with more than £500m of government investment.

The A380 has been fitted with the largest Rolls-Royce aero-engine ever made and will have its maiden flight in spring this year.

There are already 150 orders for the plane and another 70 in the pipeline.

Industry Minister Jacqui Smith said: "The workers in the North-East firms that have put this together are rightly proud of their achievement.

"They are clear evidence that UK modern high-tech manufacturing is still a world beater.

"The Airbus A380 is a visionary project and I'm proud of the role that the North-East has played in its development."