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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Three days after warning the A380 might not have a future, Airbus says it will likely keep making the plane into the 2030s.
The turnaround came after Dubai-based Emirates placed an order for 20 more of the behemoths, with options for another 16. The carrier already has 101 A380s in its fleet and had already ordered another 41. The airline therefore has plans to acquire 178 of the planes, but won't ever operate that many as some of the newly-ordered machines will replace older models.
Airbus said the deal will "will provide stability to the A380 production line" and let it keep making the superjumbo for years. Which is great news for the thousands of people around the world who make the plane or parts of it, and for Airbus itself.
[...] The company still hopes that carriers other than Emirates will pick up the plane, which it positions as ideal for routes to popular destinations where landing slots are at a premium. Airbus expects more cities will acquire that status as airline traffic grows.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by MostCynical on Saturday January 20 2018, @07:26AM
Airbus say they need to kill the plane if Emirates (or some mystical "other" company) don't order more planes.
How much of a discount did Emirates get?
How much of this was just pushing them to commit to 'enough' planes in the order?
Companies don't like changing brands- spare parts, maintainence training, and being able to switch out components mean they prefer one body, one engine, across as much of the fleet as possible. Emirates would save alot, just sticking with the the A380, instead of switching to another manufacturer.
Also, Emirates has (and will continue to have) a say on some design/layout/"customization" and certification elements, that suit them, as the major buyer.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex