- The Airbus A380 superjumbo, the largest commercial airliner in history, will end its production run in 2021.
- The A380 was once thought to have the potential to revolutionize air travel and rival the Boeing 747 jumbo jet.
- Instead, only 274 Airbus superjumbos have been ordered, and those in operation play more of a niche role for flights operating in high-congestion areas.
- Emirates accounts for nearly half of all A380s sold, with 123 orders.
- The A380 first flew in 2005 and entered service in 2007 with Singapore Airlines.
- A while back, we had the chance to take a tour of one Etihad Airways' A380s.
The Airbus A380 is one of the most impressive and controversial airplanes in aviation history. And as the largest airliner in the world, the superjumbo is undoubtedly a technological wonder.
When the European planemaker dreamed up the A380 three decades ago, it was for an aircraft that would revolutionize air travel, with grand visions of unprecedented luxury for passengers and earnings power for airlines.
Things haven't worked out quite as well as Airbus hoped. Instead of becoming the workhorse of airlines around the world, the A380 has become relegated to niche duty for high-traffic airports and markets with congestion issues.
This week, Airbus confirmed that production of the A380 would end in 2021. Airbus CEO Tom Enders cited the lack of orders as the reason for the shutdown.
Although popular with passengers, just 274 A380s have been sold since the early 2000s, with nearly half of them — 123 — going to Dubai's Emirates.
Through January, Airbus has delivered 234 A380s to airlines around the world.
Long-time Teal Group aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia expects only 17 more planes to be delivered as Airbus shutters the production line.
Some industry observers, including Aboulafia, have gone so far as to call it the biggest mistake in the history of Airbus. According to Aboulafia, the A380 is a poorly executed aircraft designed for a market that doesn't really exist. As a result, the $25 billion that Airbus spent on the A380 program could have been better used elsewhere, like on a rival for Boeing's next-generation 777X or on a true replacement for the aging 757, Aboulafia told Business Insider.
Regardless, the superjumbo remains a truly impressive aircraft. The Airbus A380 is the company's most expensive airliner, with a list price of $445.6 million. That's more than $79 million more than Airbus' second-priciest offering, the A350-1000. It's nearly $43 million more than the Boeing 747-8 and $19.8 million more than Boeing's next-generation 777-9.
A while back, Etihad Airways gave Business Insider access to one of its A380s on the tarmac at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Let's take a closer look at Etihad's Airbus A380 superjumbo:
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The Airbus A380 made its maiden flight in 2005 ...
... before entering service with Singapore Airlines in 2007.
The superjumbo eventually joined the fleets of Emirates ...
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