# End of an era: Airbus delivers last A380 superjumbo Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-12-17 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: Airbus delivers final A380 to Emirates, marking end of era Meta Description: Discover the end of an era as Airbus hands over the last A380 to Emirates, marking the end of a 14-year journey for the superjumbo jet. URL: https://financedigest.com/end-of-an-era-airbus-delivers-last-a380-superjumbohtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2021-12-16t214557z1lynxmpehbf15vrtroptp4airbus-a380-1736836548855-compressed.jpg) By Tim Hepher and Fabian Bimmer PARIS/HAMBURG (Reuters) -Airbus delivered the final A380 superjumbo on Thursday, to Dubai’s Emirates, marking the end of a 14-year run that gave Europe an instantly recognised symbol across the globe but failed to fulfil the commercial vision of its designers. Production of the world’s largest airliner – capable of seating 500 people on two decks together with perks such as showers in first class – has ended with just over 250 delivered to airlines compared with the 1,000 or more once predicted. Airbus, a planemaking conglomerate drawn together from separate entities in Britain, France, [Germany and Spain to carry out their brainchild of mega-jets to beat](https://www.financedigest.com/tesla-tops-battery-electric-vehicle-registrations-in-germany-beating-volkswagen.html "Tesla tops battery-electric vehicle registrations in Germany, beating Volkswagen") congestion, pulled the plug in 2019 after airlines went for smaller, leaner models. The 123rd superjumbo delivered to Emirates, by far the largest customer, departed [Hamburg in gloomy twilight before making a farewell lap of the port](https://www.financedigest.com/german-coalition-divided-over-chinese-bid-for-hamburg-port-terminal.html "German coalition divided over Chinese bid for Hamburg port terminal") city and heading for the Gulf. Thursday’s handover was kept deliberately low key, partly because of COVID restrictions and also because [Airbus is these days focusing its PR on environmental benefits of smaller jets](https://www.financedigest.com/airbus-may-delay-some-2023-jet-deliveries-sources.html "Airbus may delay some 2023 jet deliveries: sources"). That is in stark contrast to the spectacular light show that revealed the new behemoth in [front of European](https://www.financedigest.com/kyiv-symphonys-european-tour-marks-cultural-front-in-ukraine-crisis.html "Kyiv Symphony’s European tour marks ‘cultural front’ in Ukraine crisis") leaders in 2005. Emirates still believes in the superjumbo’s ability to lure passengers. Even though no more A380s will be built, it will keep flying them for years. Many airlines disagree and have axed the A380 during the pandemic. Airline [president Tim Clark refuses to bow to sceptics who say the days](https://www.financedigest.com/over-a-third-of-uk-people-think-thomas-whitmore-from-independence-day-will-be-joined-by-donald-trump-in-disneys-hall-of-presidents.html "Over a third of UK people think Thomas Whitmore from Independence Day will be joined by Donald Trump in Disney’s Hall of Presidents") of spacious four-engined jets like the A380 are numbered, as an airline seat becomes a commodity like any other. “I don’t share that view at all … And I still believe there is a place for the A380,” Clark [recently told reporters](https://www.financedigest.com/according-to-the-recently-published-report-by-persistence-market-research-the-global-market-for-gene-expression-analysis-will-reflect-a-steady-growth-during-the-forecast-period-2017-2022-by-the-end.html "According to the recently-published report by Persistence Market Research, the global market for gene expression analysis will reflect a steady growth during the forecast period, 2017-2022. By the end of 2022"). Technocrats and accountants said it was not [fit for purpose](https://www.financedigest.com/open-banking-are-uk-networks-fit-for-purpose.html "Open Banking: are UK networks fit for purpose?") … That doesn’t resonate with our travelling public. They absolutely love that airplane,” he said. SHOWER TALKS The A380’s demise [left deserted one of the world’s](https://www.financedigest.com/is-africa-being-left-behind-in-the-push-for-a-net-zero-world.html "Is Africa being left behind in the push for a net zero world?") largest buildings, a 122,500-square-metre assembly plant in Toulouse. Airbus [plans to use part of it to build](https://www.financedigest.com/best-guide-to-build-a-personal-financial-plan.html "Best Guide to Build a Personal Financial Plan") some of the bread-and-butter narrowbody models that dominate sales, like a deal with Qantas announced earlier on Thursday. But it is in Hamburg that some of the most striking features of the A380 evolved. Clark recalled how he huddled with Airbus developers in northern [Germany to persuade Airbus chiefs in France to pay](https://www.financedigest.com/in-inflation-hit-germany-massive-strike-over-pay-to-cripple-transport.html "In inflation-hit Germany, massive strike over pay to cripple transport") for the engineering needed to make in-flight showers a reality. There was a lot of arm-folding and my [friends in France were a little](https://www.financedigest.com/birmingham-lines-up-post-brexit-housing-plan-with-a-little-help-from-its-friends-in-china.html "Birmingham lines up post-Brexit housing plan, with a little help from its friends in China") circumspect,” Clark said. I had to sit with friends in the [development unit in Hamburg having to build](https://www.financedigest.com/zencash-partners-with-software-developer-infopulse-to-build-treasury-voting-system.html "ZenCash Partners With Software Developer Infopulse to Build Treasury Voting System") the showers, and then asked Toulouse management to see how it could be done, and so they bought in. That innovation generated headlines but did not translate into [sales needed](https://www.financedigest.com/british-pensions-step-up-multi-billion-pound-asset-fire-sale-as-need-for-cash-soars.html "British pensions step up multi-billion-pound asset fire sale as need for cash soars") to keep the A380 going. The plane was designed in the 1990s when travel [demand was soaring and China](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-prices-slide-as-hopes-for-china-demand-rebound-fade.html "Oil prices slide as hopes for China demand rebound fade") offered seemingly unlimited potential. By the time the first delivery came in 2007, the plane was more than two years late. And when Emirates got its first A380 a year later, the emerging [financial crisis was already forcing analysts to trim their forecasts for the biggest](https://www.financedigest.com/biggest-uk-house-price-fall-recorded-since-financial-crisis.html "Biggest UK house price fall recorded since financial crisis") jets. Boeing was meanwhile capturing orders for a revolutionary new 787 Dreamliner, to be followed by the [Airbus A350](https://www.financedigest.com/airbus-in-talks-on-sales-of-a350-freighter-exec.html "Airbus in talks on sales of A350 freighter -exec"). “There was a slowing down of appetite and enthusiasm. We didn’t share that view; we put this great (A380) aircraft to [work,” Clark said on the sidelines of an airlines meeting](https://www.financedigest.com/meetings-in-the-metaverse-how-likely-is-this-the-future-of-work.html "Meetings in the metaverse – how likely is this the future of work?"). “We have what I think is one of the most beautiful aircraft ever flown.” [(Reporting by Tim](https://www.financedigest.com/tim-shares-slide-as-reported-grid-bids-disappoint.html "TIM shares slide as reported grid bids disappoint") HepherEditing by Mark Potter and Alison Williams) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---