Sun sets on superjumbo: Last Airbus A380 rolls off the production line
- Reference: 1639728969
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/12/17/last_airbus_a380_rolls_off/
- Source link:
The European aerospace corporation marked the occasion with a [1]post noting that the plane is the 123rd A380 in the fleet of Dubai-based carrier Emirates, and the 251st of its type.
The A380 debuted in July 2005, and gave the world the first true double-decker jetliner (the Boeing 747's top deck only extended part of the length of the fuselage). Despite pre-launch hype that size would see carriers equip planes with gyms or playrooms for kids, most went for seats-a-plenty – often more than 500, across four classes.
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The plane went into commercial service in October 2007 on a flight from Singapore to Sydney.
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Your correspondent's home is under the flightpath for Sydney's runway 16R/34L and I saw that first flight come in. I was immediately struck by the plane's bulk and impressive acoustic properties.
Airbus designed the A380 to fly routes on which landing slots were scarce, so that airlines could maximise their capacity and revenue. The plane also had massive range, so could fly very long sectors such as Dubai to San Francisco or Sydney to Dallas. Your correspondent flew that sector on several occasions and found it [5]convenient but exhausting .
[6]Boeing confirms last 747 to roll off production line in 2022
[7]Snakes on a Plane meets The Simpsons as airline creates ‘whacker’ to scare reptiles away from parked A380s
[8]From 'Queen of the Skies' to Queen of the Scrapheap: British Airways chops 747 fleet as folk stay at home
While the A380 was capable of mighty feats, it was expensive to operate because its four engines and colossal size meant it was bloody heavy! Airlines operate on thin margins, and while the A380 was justifiably popular among passengers, it could be hard to operate it profitably.
The plane was also challenged by nimbler rivals. Craft like the 787 and A350 can match it for range, and are far cheaper to operate. Such planes are also capable of using shorter runways found at smaller airports, making new routes possible and removing the need for a high-capacity plane to fly trunk routes.
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Orders dried up. Then stopped.
In 2019 Airbus [10]decided that lack of demand meant it could not continue to make the mega-liner.
Airbus' post states that Emirates plans to keep flying its A380s for decades – as do other airlines. But others have already quit the craft forever.
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Yet your correspondent is surely far from alone in being one of millions who would happily fly on the plane once more, if international travel ever becomes easy and safe after this wretched pandemic. ®
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[1] https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/stories/2021-12-the-a380-emirates-and-flying-public-a-winning-combination
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Ybxt3B0WWQWDuv94TPu1vgAAAMQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Ybxt3B0WWQWDuv94TPu1vgAAAMQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Ybxt3B0WWQWDuv94TPu1vgAAAMQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2015/07/04/reg_hack_survives_worlds_longest_commercial_flight/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/13/final_747_shipment_2022/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/04/qantas_wheel_whacker_a380/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/17/british_airways_747_axed/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Ybxt3B0WWQWDuv94TPu1vgAAAMQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2019/02/14/a380_production_deadline_set_2021/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Ybxt3B0WWQWDuv94TPu1vgAAAMQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
They only made 251 ?
That does not seem much for a model that cost a ton of money to develop.
Boeing made [1]more than a thousand of its famous 747s.
Airbus will only have made a fifth of that. Too bad.
[1] https://www.cnet.com/news/boeing-receives-last-747-order-ending-production-of-the-storied-airliner/
Look Up
When I first saw an A380 approaching MAN it took my mind a moment to realise that it wasn't an A340 flying low but a really huge aeroplane at the usual height for turning onto final approach. It's a very large aircraft.
Floats into the sky
Great plane for passengers - it just seems to float into the sky from takeoff. Amazing given it’s huge bulk. I seem to recall the wingtips rise by something like 2 (or is it 4 ?) metres by the time it takes off.
I look forwards to reflying it once this pandemic is past. (Emirates to Dubai means I don’t have to use Heathrow - a holiday bonus in itself).
Watching them drift almost noiselessly into Heathrow reminded me of a "Fisher Price" aeroplane: far too thick and stubby to be a real aeroplane!
Knock-on effects
Perhaps between this, security theatre and COVID we'll finally see the end of hub-and-spoke operations, with all the misery of changing planes and hanging about for hours in overcrowded transfer areas & security queues, at monster airports. Flying in smaller planes direct from regional airports is a far more relaxing experience, no matter how comfortable the aircraft itself may be inside.
Pretty agile for a big bugger
I live in Farnborough under the fligt path and saw it being chucked around the sky at the airshow a few years ago. Amazing what a big plane can do when you don't have to worry about passengers throwing up everywhere.
Gutted and excited
Never flown on a 380, but my brother and me paid for my mum (with us going with her!) to go to Mauritius for her 60th which was meant to be last year. I went out of my way to ensure that we flew business on the A380. Really hoping that's still an option when the world has reopened...!
I was able to take a shower on an A380 (first class on Emirates). Admittedly, it's probably incredibly wasteful, but it's certainly something you remember.