Airbus A380 is the largest passenger airliner, having made its first flight on April 27, 2005.
Airbus however announced that production of the Jumbojet would cease at the end 2021 because of low demand from airlines.
Emirates will receive the three last A380s manufactured in November. This marks the end of an era with the double-decker jet.
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Airbus A380 production is coming to an end. Emirates announced Wednesday that Airbus would deliver the last double-decker aircraft to Emirates in November. This officially ends the program.
Emirates is the largest buyer of A380s, accounting for nearly half the 251 orders. The airline currently has 115 A380 aircraft, but that number will increase to 118 with the final delivery. Initial plans were for the airline to receive its last A380 in June 2022.
The airline intends to keep the A380 in its fleet at least for another 20 years. It offers comfortable long-haul flights on this spacious, modern jet.
In 2005, the A380 flew its maiden flight. It was an amazing feat of engineering, but it has since been one of Airbus' greatest failures, due to high operating costs and inefficiency.
The jet was not the game-changer Airbus had hoped for, particularly on the financial side. Airbus has had difficulty finding airlines that will take the A380 to service for much of its life. The A380, which cost $445.6 million to build, is one of the most costly and extravagant aircraft ever made. It can carry up to 800 passengers.
The program ended with only 251 planes. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the plane's demise even more urgent. Airlines around the globe have grounded their fleets, while others have retired the aircraft.
Here's a look into the bizarre history of the Airbus A380 superjumbo.
This story was first published by Benjamin Zhang on November 2017, and then updated by David Slotnick on February 2020. Taylor Rains updated it in September 2021.
