The end of the biggest dream
Following Emirates’ announcement that it is cutting its A380 order from 162 to 123 units, and switching to 40 A330-900s and 30 A350-900s, Airbus decided to end the superjumbo programme by 2021.
The double-decker aircraft made its maiden flight in 2005, and went into service for launch customer, Singapore Airlines, in 2007.
The European aircraft manufacture initially expected demand to reach around 1,300 units by 2030. But only 274 A380s were ordered, 234 of which have been delivered, 109 of them to Emirates.
Orders were placed for a total of 27 A380s in the freight configuration from 2001, but after the project was postponed until 2007, the orders were either cancelled or converted into ones for passenger aircraft.
The A380-800F, which was officially removed from the Airbus programme in 2015, would have had a 150 t payload capacity and a range of 10,400 km. (ah)