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The giant Airbus A380 is 10 years old, and facing major challenges
The Airbus A380 Superjumbo is officially a decade old. It was originally an aircraft that Airbus presented as a true game changer, one that would bring unprecedented levels of luxury and profitability to the airline industry.
In the decade since the aircraft's maiden flight, in April 2005, 317 superjumbos have been ordered. The plane is in service with more than a dozen airlines, but demand for the behemoth in recent years has been weak. Airbus has not been able to find a new customer for the plane since 2013. This prompts the question: Has the industry left the A380 behind? How many more birthdays will it have?
On April 27, 2005, at 10:30 a.m. local time, the first Airbus A380 prototype opened up the throttles of its four massive turbofan engines.
As the superjumbo took off from Airbus' facility in Toulouse, France, the largest commercial airliner around was actually flying.
At 239 feet long, 79 feet tall, and 262 feet from wing tip to wing tip — it's a big boy!
According to Airbus, in a typical four-class seating arrangement, the superjumbo can carry as many as 544 passengers, with a range of more than 9,400 miles.
Power for the A380 comes from of quartet of engines from Rolls-Royce or Engine Alliance.
The A380's flight crew operates from a state-of-the-art glass cockpit. Like all modern Airbus jets, the aircraft is flown using a side stick, with a fly-by-wire control system.
After its maiden flight, the A380 completed a flight test program before entering commercial service in 2007.
As an airliner, the A380 promised luxury and comfort on an unprecedented scale.
The Airbus delivered. Premium features such as a walk-up bar ...
... private bathrooms with showers ...
... large first-class suites ...
... even larger first-class suites, and ...
... advanced in-flight entertainment options.
On October 15, 2007, Singapore Airlines took delivery of the first production A380. Soon, other global airlines such as ...
... Korean Air ...
... Lufthansa ...
... Qantas ...
... British Airways ...
... Thai Airways ...
... China Southern, and ...
... Etihad took delivery of the plane.
But no customer is more important than Emirates.
Of the 317 jets ordered, 140 have been by the Dubai-based carrier. Of the 156 jets that have been delivered, 59 have been to Emirates.
Why does Emirates love the A380 so much, while most of the airlines in the world have stayed away?
Emirates is a long-haul-only international airline. All of its flights are routed to or from its palatial hub in Dubai.
As a result, Emirates needs an aircraft that can carry a lot of passengers for very long distances. A perfect job for the A380.
But few airlines in the world use Emirates' strategy. These days, the trend in the industry is to offer direct flights using smaller long-range aircraft.
That is why aircraft such as the Boeing 777 ...
.... Boeing 787 Dreamliner ...
... Airbus A350, and ...
... the Airbus A330 are selling like hotcakes.
That's also why Boeing's latest jumbo jet — the 747-8 — is struggling even more than the A380, with only 50 or so orders for the passenger version.
So is the Airbus A380 a success? Sort of. With the superjumbo, Airbus tried to take the Boeing 747 to the next level.
The plane was designed and built in a time of great change for the airline industry, and the business justification that drove the concept no longer really exists.
But with Emirates, the jet has one well-funded, highly profitable benefactor. For the Dubai airline, the A380 has been able to fill an important void in its fleet. In that sense, the superjumbo is a qualified success.
This brings us back to the original question: How many more birthdays will the A380 have? We don't know. But as long as Emirates orders more jets, the A380 will be around for a while.
Here's a superjumbo that's been converted into a private jet.
DON'T MISS: This 747 private jet is a palace in the sky
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