First flight of last A380
The last A380 manufactured in Toulouse took off on its first flight last week. The superjumbo flew from the Airbus plant in southern France to the Hamburg site.
It will undergo tests in northern Germany before its handover, for which no date has yet been fixed. The 251st model delivered is destined for Emirates, which will then be by far the largest customer, with 123 units.
On 14 February 2019, the Dubai-based carrier announced that it would reduce the backlog of the A380 by 39 aircraft, after which the aircraft manufacturer decided to stop the programme.
In the cargo business, its low belly capacity (17 t at Emirates) met with little enthusiasm, although A380s have been used as ‘preighters’ on some occasions during the past twelve months. (ah)