Airbus Bails on Its “Superjumbo” Airliner – IOTW Report

Airbus Bails on Its “Superjumbo” Airliner

The contest for aircraft manufacture supremacy was decided this week. The battle between Airbus’ A380 super-sized passenger jet and Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner not only affected the two jet makers, but also the way airlines operate well into the future.

 

The A380 offered airlines a replacement for the aging 747 Jumbo by going even bigger and carrying even more passengers between major hubs. The 787 Dreamliner offered airlines a more efficient long range carrier that would allow more direct flights and fewer connecting flights between hub and spoke systems.

Yesterday, the contest officially ended when Airbus announced that the last A380 would roll of the assembly in 2021.  More 

15 Comments on Airbus Bails on Its “Superjumbo” Airliner

  1. Hoo boy. That’s gonna hurt. Break even point around 1,000. Not sure they made it. Years ago Airbus insisted they’d been assured by airlines all over the globe that there was a huge market and they were going ahead with production. Boeing said they too asked world’s airlines and Boeing insisted they were told that airlines were not interested in passenger jets this size. So Boeing cancelled their plans to stretch 747 long enough to compete. Looks like, again, Boeing was right.

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  2. @open the door, I’ve been on enough leaky naval transports to know the difference. You’re absolutely correct. The worst are the fling wings. Helicopters. Usually duct tape holds em together.

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  3. I had an epiphany reading this.

    Airbus.

    Air Bus.

    That explains the people traveling in pajamas, slippers, dirty t shirts, body funk, mental derangement.

    It’s the fuckin’ Greyhound of the air.

    I truly dread every time I have to fly somewhere now. Didn’t use to be that way.

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  4. My brother in law, the airline captain, and former Navy P3 driver says, If it ain’t Boeing, we’re not going.

    I call him the “Bus Driver” just to piss him off. But the fuckers on to me.

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  5. I have to fly regionally a few times a year here on the left coast. Alaska Airlines is my primary carrier but since they bought out Virgin, could be JetBlue, they inherited a bunch of Airbus planes. Whoever it is, I only book flights on Boeing planes. Hell with the euros, I’m not flying on Airbus.

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  6. 14 year production run compared to the 747’s 40+ years. So much for “me too”. On a similar note, Airbuses military arm tried to make their own C-130 derivative, (the A-400) resulting in my employer adding 5 new countries to the C-130J family!!! Go Airbus!! /s

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