Airbus to end production of the A380.

[james t kirk]

Just read read this morning that airbus is going to spike the A380 program.

Nobody wants to buy this monster of an aircraft.

I remember the day I read about this flying pig thinking that it messed the mark by about 20 or 30 years because airlines were looking to smaller more efficient aircraft.

What I'd really like to know is how much money airbus lost on it. The development costs would have been massive and recovering those costs would have been predicated on successful sales numbers, something this pig never actually came close to.

And before anyone says it, I will say it, "I guess it just never really took off" .

 

[jcpro]

Four engines vs. two engines. The new generation of two engined wide bodies are super efficient, cheeper to operate, don't require longer runways nor special boarding arrangements.

 

[GameBoy27]

As of January 2019, Airbus had received 313 firm orders and delivered 234 aircraft; Emirates is the biggest A380 customer with 123 ordered, of which 109 had been delivered. In February 2019 the company announced its plans to stop making the A380. It will stop delivering the plane in 2021. The decision was made after its main customer, Emirates, significantly reduced its orders.

 

[james t kirk]

It would probably make a pretty good freighter. I have to admit.

747 is still made in its freighter variant I believe.

Even 787 is not meeting expectations in terms of sales. Boeing's best selling airframe is 737 and it was designed in the mid 60's.

 

[bazokajoe]

It's an awsome feat of engineering much like the Concorde.

 

[kstanb]

A pity,
the most comfortable economy class plane I had ever fly in

I guess it is a very specialized plane, for very long flights; I mean that was my LA to Melbourne trip

 

[GameBoy27]

A pity,
the most comfortable economy class plane I had ever fly in

I guess it is a very specialized plane, for very long flights; I mean that was my LA to Melbourne trip

They'll still be flying for many years to come.

 

[poorboy]

Goes to show to what extent CEO's and companies will go to feed their egos.

Boeing was initially not going to create a 747-8 variant because their predictions were that a larger aircraft wasn't needed. Airbus wanted to top Boeing.

Airlines are retiring these A380's early and the aircraft are being broken up for parts instead of being leased out again or converted into freighters (Look up the fate of the Singapore Airlines A380's).

The wonder twins are the future of the industry.

 

[nottyboi]

This plane had the misfortune to be developed just at the point of major tech change. Composite fuse and new engine tech in the 787s and A350s render the advantage the A380 had to zero. If it were developed with todays engine and construction tech it would be much more compelling, but it would cost BILLIONS to do that, and the demand is just not there. I think it was about 10-20 years too early.

 

[Indiana]

I’m just disappointed and pissed that they haven’t successfully increased the speed of air travel in over 50 years.

 

[poorboy]

I’m just disappointed and pissed that they haven’t successfully increased the speed of air travel in over 50 years.

Unless there is a revolutionary breakthrough in aerodynamics, commercial travel speed will not increase. Fuel efficiency increases exponentially as you close in on the transonic barrier. Aircraft actually fly a little slower these days to stay out of transonic flight for max efficiency. The fuel to distance ratio efficiency does not increase again until aircraft go supersonic. Since there are no aircraft out there that don't create a sonic boom crossing the sound barrier, you will not see any cross land supersonic flights. Nobody wants to hear sonic booms all day and night as aircraft fly over.

 

[kstanb]

I am surprised they haven't build a scaled down, modern version of the Concord, something for 15 to 20 super rich passengers that would like to cross the Atlantic in half the time of a regular jet

The next breakthrough should be something like "SpaceLiner": hypersonic, suborbital flights; but that is too far away in the future, we won't see it
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceLiner

 

[poorboy]

I am surprised they haven't build a scaled down, modern version of the Concord, something for 15 to 20 super rich passengers that would like to cross the Atlantic in half the time of a regular jet

The next breakthrough should be something like "SpaceLiner": hypersonic, suborbital flights; but that is too far away in the future, we won't see it
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceLiner

A company is:

https://boomsupersonic.com/

You know how you end up with a million dollars in aviation? Start off with 2 million. Who knows if it will actually be successful.

 

[IRIS]

TLC can make a documentary: My 1.234.600 pounds life!

 

[The "Bone" Ranger]

Never been in the 380 but 747 is my preferred carrier

 

[james t kirk]

Never been in the 380 but 747 is my preferred carrier

You obviously don't fly much.

I don't think there's an airline left in North America that flies the 747 any more. They were all slowly phased out over the last decade. But I agree, they were iconic aircraft.

 

[SplitSecond]

The 380 was 10 years too late and was killed by the B777, A350, and A330.

 

[The "Bone" Ranger]

You are right, I rarely fly and I hardly fly domestic, 90% of the time internationally. I have been on the 747 with KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways in the last few years. Most of the airlines though, that I travelled with, have been switching over to the 777 which is a very nice plane as well (at least the newer ones).

You obviously don't fly much.

I don't think there's an airline left in North America that flies the 747 any more. They were all slowly phased out over the last decade. But I agree, they were iconic aircraft.

 

[bazokajoe]

Qantas still flies the 747

 

[nottyboi]

The 380 was 10 years too late and was killed by the B777, A350, and A330.

I would say too early vs too late. tech changed and a slot crisis has not yet emerged...but I think it will.