Airbus has apparently changed its mind after officials in Los Angeles complained about its earlier decision to skip Los Angeles for its A380 jetliner's first U.S. flights, officials said on Wednesday.

The European airplane maker announced on Tuesday that its newest superjumbo jet will stop at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) next month, when A380 makes it maiden flight to the United States.

The aircraft capable of carrying more than 500 passengers is set to touch down March 19 at LAX as one of its first visits to North America, city and Airbus officials said.

Tuesday's announcement came less than two weeks after news that the plane's first U.S. flights would bypass Los Angeles for New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

An airport official called the Airbus' earlier decision "a slap at the city of Los Angeles" and airport commission president Alan Rothenberg described it as a "stunning about-face" in a letter to Airbus' chief executive officer in France, reports said.

However, officials here have a different attitude now, as Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said A380's plan to stop at LAX indicates that Los Angeles is a leading international gateway and the airport is a world-class facility.

"The A380 is at the leading edge of the future of aviation, and Los Angeles is proud to be a part of this historic moment," the mayor said in a statement.

Two A380s will respectively land at LAX and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on March 19, allowing Australia's Qantas Airways to test the airports' airfield maneuvering, terminal docking and ground-handling services and equipment.

The Los Angeles airport has already spent more than 51 million dollars preparing for the A380, including renovating its gates to accommodate the aircraft, officials said.

Source: Xinhua