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the end of the airbus A380

hifinutt

hifinutt
looks like bad news for the airbus a380

When Singapore Airlines took the A380 superjumbo for its first commercial flight in 2007, there was widespread applause that the future of air travel had arrived.

But the Airbus programme, long-delayed and over-budget, never really shook off accusations that it would be a white elephant of the skies.

So why did the world's largest passenger aircraft, described as a "hotel in the sky", fail after just 12 years of production?

The A380, whose wings are made at Airbus UK, was a bold challenger to US rival Boeing's dominance of the large aircraft market.

While Airbus was taking a multi-billion-dollar bet that airlines would want big aircraft in the future, Boeing was developing its smaller, nimbler (and seemingly more successful) 787 Dreamliner.

wonder what effect this will have on the welsh economy

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47225789
 
Sometimes if the wind direction is right I see one flying over my house towards the airport 10 miles away. The first time it happened I had a Father Dougal moment - THAT PLANE IS TOO LOW!!
 
The Emirates ones come in over the M60 in Stockport to land at Manchester. As above, it always takes my breath away at the size of it and how the wings take a completely different shape once in the air compared to the ground.
 
Simple answer as to why: Airbus failed to correctly predict the market for this size and configuration of 'plane.
 
Flown on an Emirates 380 several times. Amazingly quiet aircraft even if it does seem like you'll never get to V1 on the runway!
Bar at the back is nice too.
 
Once they fitted crew sleeping containers in the cargo hold, not much room for cargo. Airlines can make a fortune from cargo.
 
Sorry to see this, though it has been inevitable for a long time. Shame, since it remains one of the few civilised airliners left flying. Thai Airways use one on the Paris Bangkok run, so I hope it remains like that over the next few years, though grapevine suggests it may change.

Was bumped from one onto a B777 last a month ago, but upgraded to Premiere Economy to make it more palatable. This meant I had a wider seat, food I couldn't eat (foie gras) and could see the first class passengers drinking their vintage Moet. The economy seats on Thai weren't as wide, but seemed to have the same, if not slightly more legroom, but the main difference was the noise.

If you haven't flown in one, do, perhaps passenger demand will bring them back.
 
Flown many times on the Emirates A380s, much quieter and more refined than any other aircraft I've ever travelled on.... I used to plan my journeys to make sure I was on an A380 rather than a 777 as it's just so much of a better experience.
 
Flown many times on the Emirates A380s, much quieter and more refined than any other aircraft I've ever travelled on.... I used to plan my journeys to make sure I was on an A380 rather than a 777 as it's just so much of a better experience.
Exactly as my Australian friends do.
 
Flown many times on the Emirates A380s, much quieter and more refined than any other aircraft I've ever travelled on.... I used to plan my journeys to make sure I was on an A380 rather than a 777 as it's just so much of a better experience.
+1 several trips but with BA and Air France. Love the take off and landing cameras.

Recently, it's been only 787 Dreamliners which are nice but A380 is still the king for me.
 
Daughter will be disappointed as she loves the A380 for frequent far east trips and regards anything else as 'a little plane'. Never been on one myself, but booked on a 787 in couple of weeks which should be nice enough. I'd still prefer it if all long haul aircraft had four engines. if only, like the Rolls Royce engineer who allegedly also insisted on flying in four engined planes and when asked why said.. "Because there are no five engined planes"
 
The A380 is one of the nicest planes in any class to fly in. I have been fortunate to sample every class in one and with 2 different operators (BA and Qatar). It is very quiet and has well designed interiors and BA and QR have fitted reasonable to outstanding seating. The First suite in BA is their best out of all their aircraft but even economy seems better somehow. The immense power means they seem to gently ease into the air with hardly any effort compared to most of the twin engine planes that seem to need thrashing to achieve the same. I always sleep better on one due to the higher cabin pressure and lower sound levels. They will be missed for sure.

My Jan trip to Singapore:

46368388274_8e83cc2890_c.jpg

The 787 and A350's are also of a similar technology regarding pressure and noise levels but somehow seem not as relaxed
 
Have flown the A380 and Dreamliner with Emirates but found the A380 to be much better than the Boeing.

Here's one for the conspiracy nuts...(allegedly) the reason Boeing were beating Airbus on sales in Europe was because the NSA were intercepting Airbus phonecalls via their interception site at Menwith Hill and giving them to Boeing.
 
At the back ? Were you in First ?

There's a bar at the back on business class on Korean Air. Don't know about the others.

I'll be flying on an A380 (top deck), in just over four weeks. Looking forward to it and glad that I'll have had the opportunity.
 


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