Airbus has recently announced that it is ceasing the production of the famous A380 jumbo jet. The deliveries will be ending in 2021 following the decision from Emirates airline that is based in Dubai, UAE to reduce its orders for the world’s largest aircraft.
Tom Enders, Airbus CEO, said, ‘It’s a painful decision. We’ve invested a lot of effort, a lot of resources and a lot of sweat into this aircraft.’ The decision to cease production of the A380 implies the relocation or loss of about 3,500 manufacturing jobs over the course of the next three years. The Airbus operations cater to many European countries.
The A380 is fourteen years old and costs $428 Million. It is capable of carrying 853 passengers, and Airbus had hoped that it would become the primary shuttle that would operate between big airport hubs. However, things didn’t go the way Airbus was expecting them to go. The A380 features two passenger decks and weighs in at 277,000kg. It has a wingspan of 79.75 meters and a length of 72.72 meters. Airbus has only delivered 234 A380s out of the approximated 1,200 it had stated it would sell when the famous jet was unveiled.
Enders further said, ‘We need to be realistic. With the decision of Emirates to reduce orders, our order backlog is not sufficient to sustain production.’ Out of the 234 A380 Airbus that were delivered, 109 have been bought by Emirates and is slated to receive 14 more up until 2021. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the CEO and Chairman of Emirates Airline and Group said, ‘Emirates has been a staunch supporter of the A380 since its very inception. While we are disappointed to have to give up our order, and sad that the program could not be sustained, we accept that this is the reality of the situation. For us, the A380 is a wonderful aircraft loved by our customers and our crew. It is a differentiator for Emirates.’