Are the A380’s Days Numbered? With Limited Orders, Airbus Considers Ditching the Superjumbo Jet
Joe Cortez December 12, 2014
The A380 superjumbo jet, manufactured by Airbus, could go out of production as soon as 2018
Could the Airbus A380 go out of production? The aircraft manufacturer is discussing that reality, in addition to a number of possible scenarios for the fan favorite superjumbo jet. Bloomberg reports Airbus is actively discussing the future of the A380 program, including halting production entirely.
The comments about finding new options for the A380 were made at an Airbus investors meeting on December 7. According to Bloomberg, Airbus chief financial officer Harald Wilhelm told investors that although orders will break even through 2017, the manufacturer is considering other options. Additional ideas to make the A380 more viable include offering a different engine package, with stopping all manufacturing as the final resort.
Airbus’ acknowledgement of the situation adds another chapter of intrigue into the future of the 525-seat double-deck aircraft. In November, AP reported Airbus’ quarterly profits dropped after increased manufacturing and delivery of the A380. And according to Bloomberg, 2014 will be the first year without an A380 debut on a new airline.
Airlines are responding with mixed reaction to the news. While some airlines believe the A380 is only applicable on very specific long-haul routes, Emirates (EK) president Tim Clark believes investing in long-haul routes as a method to prevent airport overcrowding is still the future.
“This is where Airbus needs to be going,” Cook told Britain’s The Independent. “To persuade airlines in the long-haul business that this definitely has a place.”
Though ending manufacturing is an option, Airbus appears dedicated to maintaining the status of the A380. Australian Business Traveler reports that, at the same investor meeting, Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier also introduced the idea of revising the superjumbo jet with an A380neo or A380-900 “stretched” variant.
[Photo: Airbus]
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@fleur_de_lys, What does that have to do with the A380? Surely this is a LH issue and not direct an A380 issue? I do not like the EK bling bling in F and/or J but that doesn't make the A380 a horrible plane... IMO the A380 is superior to most other aircraft types (regardless of seats, colour of the carpets etc) as it's smooth flying in the heaviest of turbulence and very quiet in deed. I did a flight earlier this year in the hyped B787 and what an utter disappointment. OK, the windows are larger and can be electronically "shut" but besides that no improvement I could feel. Still as noisy as the rest of the current Boeing family. All this said, I do not believe for a second the A380 program is going to be halted anytime soon.
I don't think they are quite ready to cancel it, the reality of the situation is that it's just the wrong aircraft for the wrong time. With exception to some of the long hauls where timezones pretty much limit your departure / arrival time windows, most people want a choice of time with departure / arrivals. In fact in some instances the number of flights between cities can rival the frequency of the local bus service. This day and age, we'd rather see 3 737's flying the route rather than 1 large plane like the A380. The last time a genuinely massive plane was launched it was the B747, but that was launched at a time when people didn't mind 3 weekly services...
Seems like they are merely discussing it as a possibility, I don't see any real confirmation that Airbus is cancelling the A380
Well I guess it depends on the airline. I flew from Johannesburg to Frankfurt on the A380 and have to say it was an extremely disappointing experience. 98 passengers on the upper deck in business. Did not have any sense of privacy . Angled flat seats which was beyond disappointing- very uncomfortable. Lousy food and mediocre service. I flew the same trip on the 747 business (with the new LH seats) upper deck which was much better in terms of privacy, seat comfort etc. Unfortunately, food beyond lousy and service , perfunctory at best. Unfortunately not had the experience of flying EK in any class
Personally, I don't want to come out of a shower where there are 500 people starring at me.