Why airbus a380 failed

The fastest-growing markets for aviation services are in the developing world, and most of these new players are following the low-cost model too. Airbus relied on Emirates to keep the A programme running. Prior to cutting its order, the Dubai-based airline had ordered a total of jets with currently in operation — nearly seven times more than the second-largest operator, Singapore Airlines with Only three other airlines have more than 10 in their fleet, while just one Chinese carrier — China Southern — operates the model.

Not one American airline has made an order. The jet, first dreamed up in and blighted by years of delays as Airbus attempted to get it in the skies, never really took off.

Wrong place, wrong time Many have asserted that the A programme was doomed to fail well before production began. As technology progressed and aircraft manufacturers improved their safety records, these regulations were gradually relaxed. With the aircraft designed to take advantage of the previous rules, the change to regulations were a huge blow. The A, meanwhile, deemed a financial flop, was overwhelmed by increased competition as a result of relaxed rules.

Oversized expectations The spaciousness of the A made it a favourite with passengers, while its scale made it a favourite among plane spotters. But in spite of this reverence, business travellers — integral to the profit margins of legacy airlines and flag carriers on long-haul routes — demonstrated an overwhelming preference for flight frequency and flexible schedules over aircraft size.

Airlines found they could fly two s on a typical long-haul route at a lower total cost than flying one A, making the aircraft economically uncompetitive on all but a handful of routes worldwide.

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Then you will love this! Home News A Airbus supersalesman blames engines for A failure. News A Passenger News. Share on Facebook. Great article! Very interesting to hear an insider's post-mortem of such major projects, especially what goes right and wrong, and why. Looking forward to part two. One minor typo: "In a two-part series, Mr. Leahy speaks exclusively to Airlinerataings.

Dear Nick, And thank you very much for the heads up on that typo. Best Geoffrey Thomas Editor. An interesting article. But Leahy forgets to mention that the Boeing was based on the "point to point" route model, with the airliner flying non-stop between any two major cities in the world, whereas the A was based on the traditional "hub and spoke" route model, which was frankly out of date and travelers had come to hate due to airport congestion, missed connections, dashing madly through the terminal to make your connecting flight, lost luggage, and all of that.

In addition, he seems to miss the point that no matter how more efficient an advanced A engine could have been, four engines still burn twice as much fuel as two engines, and you're running all four engines even if the aircraft is half full. With a wide body twin like the B or A, you have half the fuel burn and all the flexibility.

If your passenger load ramps up you can just add another aircraft to the route, if it shrinks you can remove it. You can't cut an A in half if the passenger load suddenly drops off. Visit our Ratings Now! United Airlines. VietJet Air. Privacy Policy We have placed cookies on your device to enhance your browsing experience. We are collecting cookies for marketing purposes.

To allow all cookies click OK. Otherwise you can use this tool to manage. A large plane, so the argument went, would help ease this bottleneck by picking up more people per flight while also maximising value for pricey landing slots. This prediction proved to be wrong. In fact, airport capacity in many markets, especially Asia, has grown. The sheer size and luxury of the A also played a role in its undoing. Overall yield is therefore lower than a smaller aircraft, which are easier to fill up.

Airbus was correct in one prediction. It envisaged that flights would continue to be hub-to-hub, involving passenger transfers in major airports. Think of a flight from Europe to Japan, for example, that requires a stopover in Dubai.