Why the Superjumbo A380 Is Flying Into Retirement

Airbus SE took the drastic measure of terminating its flagship A380 superjumbo, with the last double-deckers rolling off the production line in 2021. That will be just 14 years after its first commercial flight and just a year after Airbus appeared to have secured the aircraft’s long-term future with a much-needed order from Emirates. But its biggest customer had second thoughts and pared back its commitment, leaving Airbus with no choice but to scrap the program.

The four-engine plane had been on shaky ground for years as the aviation industry increasingly turns to leaner twin-turbine planes like the Airbus A350 and Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner for longer routes. Put simply, the A380 is just too thirsty for most airlines, with only a handful able to make the fuel-burn economics feasible. It may also be too big for its own good. Airbus designed the jet to meet a surge in passenger traffic, reasoning that crowded airports would compel carriers to operate bigger aircraft. While that’s been the case in some locations -- London Heathrow, with just two runways, is the second-biggest A380 hub, after Dubai -- the prediction has by and large proved inaccurate. Airports are expanding capacity to keep pace with demand, and cities around the world are increasingly getting direct links, undercutting the need for Persian Gulf-style mega-hubs.