On June 4, the giant Airbus A380 superjumbo touched down in Japan on a three-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific that will also take the world's biggest passenger aircraft to Australia and Taiwan.

The double-decker landed under hazy summer skies at Narita International Airport, returning for a second time to Japan, a lucrative but so far fruitless market for the European aerospace giant.

Neither Japan Airlines (JAL) nor All Nippon Airways (ANA) has expressed any interest in the A380.

The carriers, two of Asia's largest and firm Boeing customers, have increasingly bought smaller planes for shorter flights, particularly to their growing market - China.