The World's Biggest Passenger Airplane Might Soon Be Dead - Airbus A380.jpg

https://jalopnik.com/the-worlds-bigg...dea-1822098940

The Airbus A380 weighs over 300 tons empty and, as of the year of our Lord 2018,
is the world’s biggest passenger airliner still in production. Alas, all things
must die and, as The New York Times reports, the A380, too, might soon die.

The only airline left still purchasing the plane is Emirates, and John Leahy,
Airbus’s chief operating officer, said that if Emirates stops ordering, that’s
likely the end for the A380. The problem is it was designed to be really big,
since Airbus expected the world’s biggest airports to get ever busier when they
unveiled the plane in 1995.

What happened instead, as the NYT notes, is that airlines went smaller, and
instead of using big airports started taking off and landing at mid-sized ones
in smaller planes.

In short, very few people want or have the need for one humongous plane.

All of which has left Airbus with a single customer for the A380, and the stark
realization that the end might be nigh:

“If we can’t work out a deal with Emirates, I think there is no choice but to
shut down the program,” Mr. Leahy said during a webcast with journalists.

“But,” he added, “I’m hopeful that we’ll work out a deal.”

Emirates, based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, did not respond to a request
for comment.

Airbus builds at least six A380s a year, and, despite the headwinds (heh, get
it, little airplane joke), Leahy thinks that the double-decker A380 might still
have a future since air travel does keep increasing overall.

It’ll probably just keep increasing in smaller planes, though.





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"Miloch" wrote in message news

https://jalopnik.com/the-worlds-bigg...dea-1822098940

“If we can’t work out a deal with Emirates, I think there is no choice but
to shut down the program,� Mr. Leahy said during a webcast with
journalists.

But for the Arabs, the A380 would have been stillborn.

The 747 doesn't seem to be too far behind: https://tinyurl.com/yaywdr7d

https://thepointsguy.com/2017/01/747...mbo-graveyard/

Pic: United Airlines says au revoir to the 747

In article , Stormin' Norman says...

On 16 Jan 2018 20:25:14 -0800, Miloch
wrote:

https://jalopnik.com/the-worlds-bigg...dea-1822098940

The Airbus A380 weighs over 300 tons empty and, as of the year of our Lord 2018,
is the world’s biggest passenger airliner still in production. Alas, all things
must die and, as The New York Times reports, the A380, too, might soon die.


I meant to comment on this a couple of days ago. Reportedly Airbus
invested $20 - $25 billion developing the A380.

They have built approximately 222 of the aircraft which reportedly
sell for $445 million each.

Basic math aside, I wonder if they broke even on this plane? I have
no idea what kind of margin exists on aircraft such as these.

According to this page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...and_deliveries

There are 117 aircraft on order, yet to be built.




Don't think Airbus has ever made a real profit! Looks like it's only survived
thru government subsidies.

http://www.boeing.com/company/key-or...tions/wto.page

"For the last decade, the U.S. has pursued a case before the World Trade
Organization (WTO) against illegal subsidies provided to Airbus by four European
governments, which have given the European plane maker an unfair advantage in
the global market. With government help, Airbus has captured 50% of the global
commercial airplane market .

"The European Union has used delay and stall tactics to continue evading global
trade rules by filing their own cases against the United States and ignoring WTO
compliance rulings against their illegal practices. They’ve lost badly at every
twist and turn, and now it’s time for them to address the $22 billion in illegal
subsidies the WTO ruled against them and meet their global trade obligations.






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