The airline which will operate the first passenger flight of the Airbus A380 super-jumbo jet is to auction the seats online.

Singapore Airlines has announced that all proceeds will go to charity. The places will be offered on everyone's favourite internet jumbleshop, eBay.

"Be a part of history," says the company release. "Bid to be first to fly on the A380."

The inaugural flight of the double-decker plane is planned for October, and will be a return trip from Singapore to Sydney.

"The first commercial A380 flight will be a moment in aviation history," said Chew Choon Seng, Singapore Airlines CEO.

"It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, on an aircraft that will mark a new chapter in air travel. And while we will celebrate the event, we also wish to remember the people who are less fortunate and can be assisted by the charities to which all the proceeds will go."

Singapore Airlines will provide the plane free as a goodwill gesture, and ExxonMobil will supply free fuel.

eBay will "subsidise the fees and charges from this auction", and its money-transfer arm PayPal will "rebate a portion of its fees and charges to help support the charities".

Money raised will go one third each to the Singapore Community Chest, childrens' hospitals in Australia, and to global med-relief agency Médecins Sans Frontières.

Exact schedule details will be released "soon, after final notification from Airbus about the delivery date". The eBay auctions are expected to take place some weeks prior to the flight. ®

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