Some industry experts called last week’s announcement that Airbus will cease production of the A380 a non-event; rumors of the airplane’s demise had been circulating for years. Airbus made the final decision after sales of the giant airplane dwindled with no new orders over the past few years. Recently, the company also lost an order for 40 of the giant airliners from Emirates, an airline already operating 108 A380s. Qantas Airlines canceled its order for eight of the airplanes.
Airbus to Halt A380 Production
Key Takeaways:
- Airbus is ceasing production of its A380 superjumbo by 2021 due to a lack of new orders and recent cancellations from key customers like Emirates and Qantas.
- The A380's immense capacity limited its usefulness to very long-haul routes carrying a large number of passengers, restricting its market appeal to only a few carriers.
- Its requirement for updated airport infrastructure and airlines' preference for smaller, more flexible aircraft like the A330Neo and A350 ultimately contributed to its demise.
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