After „only“ 14 years of its maiden flight, Airbus concludes the manufacturing of A380 aircraft. This giant aircraft can handle up to 850 passengers in a one-class configuration. In comparison, Boeing 747 probably the most famous „double-decker “ can handle up-to „only“ 600 passengers.
Airbus A380 orders
The title for most luxurious commercial air carrier goes to Emirates airline and rightly so. Their vast fleet had always had a staple of having large first class configurations, a trait that most companies simply have no demand for, it is no wonder that precisely Emirates has the most orders of A380 aircraft.
Long distance travel is in the very core of business models of the largest air carriers in the Middle East. That kind of service includes prestigious first-class travel where passengers can have customized food orders, entire private bathrooms, and beds or even showers inside the aircraft.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Middle East airlines are the ones who were the most interested buyers in this monstrous aircraft, the largest commercial aircraft of all time.
The reason for the A380 project closure
There are many reasons why Airbus is stopping with its deliveries in 2021. The aircraft of this size has to be loaded up to the very last seat for it to make a profit. Its huge capacity needs to be filled up in order to justify its operational costs. Routes that constantly get a demand for almost 800 passengers, multiple times a day, are rare. Therefore, there are only a few air carriers that can financially justify the usage of this aircraft type. The additional reason is the struggle to acquire a sufficient amount of engines from its manufacturer, Rolls Royce. However, arguably the biggest reason lies in the competition of the other aircraft types – A350, – A320 and other manufacturers such as Boeing 777. All mentioned aircraft have two engines and significantly lower fuel consumption. Airbus A380 uses the power of four engines and therefore requires more fuel than the two-engine aircraft. Thereby, A380 is simply not viable enough for most carriers.
