Airbus will shutter its A380 production line from 2021

Looks like Boeing won.

Better business strategy, and of course funding from US government too probably helped a bit.

The A380 project was a disaster, over budget and late deliveries. Problems at Rolls Royce didn't help either.

I'm sure they will be in the air for quite some time yet though.

So long and thanks for all the airmiles

Having flown with Emirates a fair bit over the last few years, it's a shame that more carriers won't be taking them. I actually took a later flight back from Dubai last year to be on a 380 rather than a 777.

However, the load of the plane from Sydney to DBX was sparse, to the point that some lucky buggers got a full four seats in the middle aisle to themselves. It was even quieter the day before, apparently.

Turns out Airbus was the silly one

Two decades ago when ultra large aircraft were being discussed, everyone assumed that whomever announced the development program first would be on their own: it was acknowledged that there was only ever a market for one aircraft this size. Turns out there wasn't even that...

With ever more long-range, medium-sized aircraft such as Airbus's own A350 and Boeing's 787 on the market, the traditional hub-and-spoke model that most airlines still operate on began to disintegrate. Why make a long journey to a large hub airport such as Heathrow or Amsterdam when there are aircraft capable of flying you direct to your destination from your closest airport?

Indeed. BA note: I have no desire or reason to travel to Heathrow if I want to fly internationally.

There are no magic routes that I can do from LHR that I can't also do from MAN.

"To Fly, To Serve... London"

Just to big to win

One thing not mentioned about the A380 freight version was that it was actually just too big. Basically by the time you hit the weight limit it was only 60% full, meaning it was not as efficient as the 747 freighter. However we might see a version for carrying very large objects when they start coming out of service.

Also RR will take a hit, since the Trent 900 was the primary engine used on the type

Optimal Sizes

For any vehicle including aircraft there seems to a series of sizes that nicely fit market needs. Too large or too small or otherwise unusual and the product is not going to be a good enough seller to justify the development costs. Airbus seemed to catch a nice case of gigantism, to beat Boeing let's make an even jet without really considering the overall market. First passengers detest the 'hub-and-spoke' model as means connecting flights. Anyone who has done any amount of flying knows changing planes in Atlanta (or other hub) is a risky proposition. So any aircraft that can bypass the hub are preferable to many travelers. Makes one wonder what they did for market research, like did they ask the passengers what they really wanted.

Did the A380 ever hit the promised weight tonnage?

I believe manufacturers make rebate payments to their customers on spec misses such as this...

I

I think it was due to two things: shift away from hub and spoke (except SAS, who do have hubs), and (maybe more importantly) the recent change in safety range ratings. It used to be the case that you needed four engines on some routes. No longer a requirement, so those kerosene guzzlers are no longer needed.

Airbus should sue airlines for trashing the brand

It doesnt help when airlines trash the brand(yes QANTAS, i am looking at you) by cramming them in . I know at least 6 people who have sworn never to fly in the A380 again,. Just this morning one of Mrs Diogenes friends posted on FB... "never again on an A380. Thankfully have a few days in Singapore to recover from 12 hour flight from London on QANTAS. Crammed in, not enough toilets, took for ever to check in and load, bags took ages to be unloaded" followed by airline specific complaints such as inedible food, no service etc and lots of "yep same for us, never again"

A380 - a disaster?

"Either it's going to be that flagship of the 21st century, or it's going to be a disaster"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeCYW35xDME&t=204

Maybe they should pause production for a few years, because the current A380s will need replacing eventually. An updated A380 using many of the same parts, would be far cheaper than a brand new replacement.

Thank you Gareth

A very comprehensive article of all the key facts.

Indeed, the A380 helped Boeing kill the B747… and develop the twin-engined B777, which in turn forced Airbus to work on the A350, taking the wind off the A380s wings, as it were.

In the meanwhile, it is puzzling that Airbus did not put more effort on its best-selling A320.

Good point bringing up the evolution of air transport in Europe from hub and spoke to mesh. Ryanair and the lo-co industry that followed played a big part in shaping that. Interestingly, it is a model that brings both more convenience to users and lessens the environmental impact significantly, as I have had the opportunity to witness in my short ten year career in aviation.

probably end up like concorde

I can see the A380 going a similar route. Expensive development, sold into a market that moved in the other direction to what was expected, such that it was not economically viable and had to stop production. Since no new ones are being made, the existing ones become a novelty and a status symbol, and being fastest/largest has some niche applications that rich passengers will pay for. In the same way we might not see a faster plane than concorde for 50 years after it first went into service, we might not see a larger plane than the A380 for a similar period.

With artificial intelligence and automation meaning aircraft may soon be flying without any pilot, the cost savings of larger aircraft in that respect disappear. The only reason to build larger might be in terms of capacity on really busy routes. But even there, technology could well reduce the separation needed between planes for safety, meaning you can achieve the same capacity with two or three smaller aircraft. So quite possibly, the A380 might never be topped.

Obligatory anecdotal evidence...

suggests your MAN and my MAN are two different... er... MEN?

Anyway, have flown A380 in/out of Manchester for the last four flights - no baggage problems either way.

Maybe it's you, or maybe I've been lucky? ;-)

The wrong contest

I read several articles from different sources and all of them frame the story in a contest A380 vs 747, but that's actually misleading. Have a look on the Wikipedia at article about 747 sales, most of those sold the last 10 years were bought by a very small group of cargo carriers, late 747 is not so successful. The truth is that the real contest is comfortable travel vs cattle class ryanair model. It's a pity, the cattle class on a long range trip is a torture, but it seems it will be very difficult to find something in between it and the very expensive business class.

Don't say "shutter" for goodness's sake. The word is shut, or close.

So... What price Heathrow's third runway? I see many comments here about the hub and spoke model being dead. And I see others here saying that Emirates flights run way under capacity. (Living near Heathrow, I've also heard similar rumours of half-empty flights.)