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Op-Ed: The A380 Was Not a Failure and Should be Remembered Just like Concorde

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When people talk about the A380 it is easy to see why they may use such terms as “failure” or “a complete flop” but I do not see it like that. While yes, the A380 has its shortcomings it is important to remember that the announcement from Airbus to me feels much like the same announcement made in 2003 when they elected to cease operations of one of the greatest planes of all time, Concorde. (airwaysmag.com) More...

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royhunte92
Roy Hunte 8
So many people see the end of production as the end of the aircraft, but the aircraft may fly for many years after production end. Take the 727 for example, Boeing stopped production in 1984 yet they continued to fly for many many years. I saw an article a couple days ago; Airbus grounds the A380, totally not true, they are just not taking anymore orders. The production is scheduled to end in 2023 but the aircraft may fly for many years after that.
williambaker08
william baker 2
I thought Airbus said production would end in 2021
oliveco
For a Passenger, it is a great experience! And it remains...
patpylot
patrick baker 5
from the peanut gallery where you are, you may not see the A380 the failure that it has been revealed to be. If you sit in an airline executive suite your opinion would be : flies nice, costs way too much, needs very high load factors at high revenues, burns much av gas, and we can't make enough of a profit to buy and keep the aircraft. No american trunk carriers ever bought this plane, and that gives insight into the problem. It is majestic, lovely to watch land and takeoff, and never reached their sweet spot of a market. Concorde was built and flown in spite of the market realities of revenues and fuel costs. Same short sighted reasoning..
randersn
Ron Andersen 2
Of course, of course. Not invented or made in the US, so it must be a flop. On another point, they don't burn much Avgas at all...

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Cansojr
Cansojr 1
When they decided to build the A-380 everyone in the industry said that it would be a complete failure. Rumours said it was too heavy for most runways and totallly new technoloy. Terminals were to small airpforts but was to big to maneuver around mega-airports. This is incorrect ,wnhile hard to move it can be done with great care. The 380 is new technology and will continue to expand oero- nautical and improve the quality of knowledge.
bentwing60
bentwing60 0
Brilliance in commercial aircraft design and production does not expose the stockholder and unwitting taxpayer to endless financial losses and an early demise. Both Concorde and the 380 did.
TorstenHoff
Torsten Hoff 5
OK, how about "marvel of engineering" or "stupendous technical achievement"?
bentwing60
bentwing60 1
Yes, those might be more appropriate subjective superlatives, as the term brilliance, "Exceptional clarity and agility of intellect or invention",
(from the American Heritage Dictionary), might not really describe the end result of a 28 billion euro investment that really never panned out.
Cansojr
Cansojr 2
Hi Bentwing60. I agree with everything you say for one point. The Concorde flew for 20 years without incidence. When Airbus reaches that point I think we might be surprised. A manufacturer must create a market. Airbus has wasted too much time with the Emir of Emirates instead of a more diverse
aviation to more airlines. It was a knuckleaded maneuver to focus just one customer instead of the a massive growing market. They just focused on one customer only because he lied saying he will by 100 aircraft.

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Cansojr
Cansojr 2
You try and type on a 3"x5" typing panel and learn some manners. It's people like you who wreck this site jughead.

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Cansojr
Cansojr 1
You are mentally ill. No more to be said here!

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Cansojr
Cansojr 0
Sneaking on mom and dad's computer.
royjen1967
Roy Jenkins 1
Your a rude idiot. If you have nothing good to say then please just say nothing at all.

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Cansojr
Cansojr 1
Roy I think it's time for Fortnitepro should be suspended what do you think? I am disgusted by that language.

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Cansojr
Cansojr 1
Please use appropriate language, thats all we ask of you.
Cansojr
Cansojr 2
Roy he has been removed at my written request by myself. Others probably have done too. Sorry for the abuse you endured.
Cansojr
Cansojr 2
Some people are jumping on the 380s tombstone. Not so soon. Everybody was jumping on the BombardierAirbus 2200. Over 500 units have been sold with more orders pending. Don't count your sales until they are painted and on there way to their customer. Everyone said that Airbus A220 bombed. Stranger tales th ave been told...however the 380 story is not over yet. Don't write Airbus off into Airbust. There are lots of people to fill their seas.
bristolgeoff
Geoff Davies 1
I like the dbl decker plane to fly in.still will fly just not make new ones after a certain date
johnhetherington1947
The A380 was a smooth comfortable glove spanning aircraft. An Engineering marvel. Good in turbulence, difficult to land smoothly sometimes. Had Boeing worried just like the Concorde did. Same fate which was engineered I think to eliminate competition. Better than the old 747.
Pb2902
The interesting issue here is that A380 became not profitable, simple as that.
Also some years ago Boeing published an airline forecast where they predicted the medium and small capacity aircraft will be in high demand.
With the development of two engines, high capacity aircraft, Airbus created the conditions for the A380's demise, as we can see today the competition is focus on this types of aircraft.
The Project Sunrise led by QANTAS is considering two types, A350 and B-777x

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