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Several news agencies are reporting on the demise of the A380, an aircraft loved by passengers. European plane maker Airbus said Thursday it will stop making its superjumbo A380 in 2021 for lack of customers, abandoning the world's biggest passenger jet and one of the aviation industry's most ambitious and most troubled endeavors.
A slump in sales due to the airline industry moving to a point to point model make risk of empty seats on the A380 too much of a burden to make it profitable to operate.
Still the aircraft will remain in service for at least another 20 years.
https://www.designdevelopmenttoday.com/industries/aerospace/news/21047354/airbus-abandons-iconic-superjumbo-jet https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47231504
Previously: A380 Cancellations by Qantas Raise new Questions About the Superjumbo's Future
(Score: 2) by legont on Wednesday February 20 2019, @02:44PM (3 children)
50 years ago Boeing developed 747 which is still the best and in demand while 10-12 years old A380's nobody wants even at second hand prices.
https://simpleflying.com/qatar-airways-a380-retirement/ [simpleflying.com]
Just the other day US Air Force ordered F-15's - yet another 50 years old marvel http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/200139/usaf-requests-boeing-f_15x-fighter-in-next-budget.html [defense-aerospace.com]
Pentagon really should scrap F-35 program, but it would be too much to ask. They will burn all the moneys first. Besides, the US can always persuade friends to buy some.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by richtopia on Wednesday February 20 2019, @04:00PM (1 child)
Sorry to nit-pick, but I would not call the 747 "the best". It delivers unique capability in some specific segments and continues to remain competitive. Of all the aircraft currently in production, I would probably point to the A350 XWB introduced in 2015. I haven't flown yet but I've heard the passenger experience is better than the 787, and the A350 competes directly with the 787 in efficiency and capability. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A350_XWB [wikipedia.org]
If you want to go by volume, I suspect it would come down to the A320 or the 737. The following pages are interesting, although I'm unsure if Boeing/Airbus use comparable accounting techniques:
https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/market/orders-deliveries.html [airbus.com]
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/ [boeing.com]
(Score: 2) by legont on Thursday February 21 2019, @03:21AM
I meant the best flying machine as described in this very interesting book https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Science-Flight-Insects-Jumbo/dp/0262513137 [amazon.com]
As per subjective values, I believe the Airbus is ugly. I also believe that ugly can't fly well so I am satisfied it died so fast. The last point, I don't like German engeneering that has at the core a belief that German engineer knows better how to fly an airplane than a pilot. My whole attitude is very ideological, sorry)))
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by mrkaos on Wednesday February 20 2019, @11:03PM
However there is demand for a re-engined A380 using some of the newer more efficient engines. Any disruption to the point to point model and a resurrection of this aircraft is not hard to imagine.
They have already set expectation with US Allies. As crap as this plane is if the US doesn't deliver what was promised it is unlikely that this will be forgotten by those who contributed budget to the development process. We get it, the US wants to maintain air superiority with the F22 so it begs the question if US allies should now look to European manufacturers because they actually deliver. Like they actually delivered the A380 despite the obstacles it faced.
My ism, it's full of beliefs.