Airbus likely to abandon A380 superjumbo jet production amid lackluster sales

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Airbus could abandon A380 superjumbo jet production amid lackluster sales

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PARIS – Airbus said Monday it will stop making the costly A380 superjumbo jet if the European multinational corporation doesn't land a long-term deal with the Emirates airline for a steady supply of the planes.

Abandoning the A380 would be a disappointing defeat for Airbus, which spent many years and many billions developing the double-decker behemoth, even as skeptics questioned the whether the jet would generate enough demand to justify its cost and the bigger runways it requires.

"If we can't work out a deal with Emirates, there is no choice but to shut down the program," Airbus chief salesman John Leahy told news reporters in Paris.

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Boeing's 747-9 at least as a cargo version to offer, which will likely keep the air frame around for another 5-10 years. Airbus does not offer a cargo version of their jumbo A380 and has no plans for either a new engine to improve efficiency or a cargo version.



Emirates ordering the new Boeing 787-10 back in November may end up being the death of the Airbus A380.

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Emirates now relies solely on the Airbus 380 and the Boeing 777 for its flights, making it the largest operator of both. It has over 160 Boeing 777s in its fleet today and took possession of its 100th A380 in November.

Reports circulated before the Dubai Air Show in November that a major A380 sale would be coming.

Instead, Airbus employees found themselves attending a news conference at which Emirates announced the purchase of 40 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners in a $15.1 billion deal. The air show ended without an A380 deal, throwing the line's future into question.

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