Goodbye A380

[flyer]

The Airbus A380 won't be made for much longer. There's not enough orders for it as airlines switch to more fuel efficient planes. They've only been going for about 10 years haven't they?

 

[KoreanHammer]

Damn shame. Beautiful plane and testament to human engineering but economics doesn’t work for any airlines except one...

 

[west didsblue]

The Airbus A380 won't be made for much longer. There's not enough orders for it as airlines switch to more fuel efficient planes. They've only been going for about 10 years haven't they?

Bit longer. It will have had a 14 year run if you count first to last delivery and Airbus will have manufactured 313 in total with 79 still being built. That's actually a pretty decent run for an aircraft that big.

I think it's the limited number of economic routes that have caused the end of production rather than fuel efficiency per passenger. With a full aircraft it's probably up there with the newer aircraft in terms of fuel use per passenger. It's just that it's difficult to fill them on more than a handful of very high volume routes.

 

[Blue Maverick]

Have they blamed it on Brexit yet?

 

[happyman]

Have they blamed it on Brexit yet?

I heard someone blame it on plagues and dinosaurs though.

 

[Daz_Blue]

Have they blamed it on Brexit yet?

Raheem's fault according to the Mail and the Sun

 

[flyer]

I think the idea behind the A380 was to take 500 ish people from one major airport to another major airport and then let the passengers get another flight to their final destination. The newer aircraft can take people from virtually any airport to any other without the mass move of an A380. People have decided that the A380 doesn't fit with what they want

 

[Henkeman]

Bit longer. It will have had a 14 year run if you count first to last delivery and Airbus will have manufactured 313 in total with 79 still being built. That's actually a pretty decent run for an aircraft that big.

I think it's the limited number of economic routes that have caused the end of production rather than fuel efficiency per passenger. With a full aircraft it's probably up there with the newer aircraft in terms of fuel use per passenger. It's just that it's difficult to fill them on more than a handful of very high volume routes.

You've also got a lot of long range, ETOPS rated twin engine aircraft with next gen efficiency. The A380 is a marvellous machine, but it's out of time by a decade now. Which funnily enough is what Boeing claimed at the time and were probably right about - though so much aircraft manufacture is a national pissing contest rather than pure economics.

But the A350/ B787 are the ones that are doing well at the moment. Who knows, there may be call for a superjumbo in the future, but it is unlikely in the foreseeable.

 

[Two Gun Bob]

Sniff .. but I don't think it's quite goodbye just yet for this iconic behemoth as production continues on for a few more years but hopefully they can all continue to fly out their working life's charming the general public and aviation conisoers alike.Emerites made a decision based on economics and maybe the a350's will suit them a whole lot better but not one to raise of the the pulse.Singapore use this a350-900 series regularly from Manchester and are a good economic workhorse but do not conjure up the graceful engineering prowess of the A380 that is one of the most beautiful aircraft's to have ever graced our skies.

Female pilots fly emirates A380 for international women's day.Incerible videography:



And for our modeling aficionados ...A superlative piece of flying from the talented Michael Brauer:

 

[Magicpole]

Its with Phil now.