Airbus to Stop Building A380 Aircraft by 2021

European plane manufacturer Airbus has taken the “painful” decision to cease deliveries of the A380 in 2021.

The news comes after key partner Emirates cut its orderbook from 162 to 123 of the superjumbo. The aircraft has struggled to compete with more efficient, smaller models in recent years.

As newer planes have become more efficient, carriers have tended to offer more ‘point to point’ services and the expense of ‘hub and spoke’ models.

Emirates said its decision came in light of developments in aircraft and engine technologies. The Dubai-based carrier will take delivery of a further 14 A380s before 2021.

Airbus has delivered 234 of the superjumbos to date, from an orderbook of 313. This is less than a quarter of the 1,200 planes Airbus predicted it would sell when it first introduced the double-decker aircraft in the early 2000s.

Emirates has decided to continue growing with Airbus’ newest generation, flexible widebody aircraft, ordering 40 A330-900 and 30 A350-900 aircraft.

Airbus said it would start discussions with its partners in the next few weeks regarding the 3,000 to 3,500 positions potentially impacted over the next three years.

The ongoing A320 ramp-up and the new widebody order from Emirates would, however, offer a significant number of internal mobility opportunities, the manufacturer said.