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An employee inspects the surface of an Airbus A380 wing during production at the Airbus SAS factory in Broughton, UK. Bloomberg
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An Emirates Airline Airbus A380 arrives at Manchester airport in northern England. Bloomberg
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Airbus CEO Tom Enders, second right, CFO Harald Wilhelm, left, president of Airbus Commercial Aricraft Guillaume Faury, second left, and Rainer Ohler, Executive Vice President Commuincations, present Airbus 2018 results in Toulouse, southern France. AP Photo
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An A380 Airbus superjumbo sits on the tarmac where it is dismantled at the site of French recycling and storage aerospace company Tarmac Aerosave in Tarbes, southwest France. Reuters
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The iconic double-decker was a tough sale to airlines. Reuters
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A Emirats first class cabin in an Airbus A380. AP Photo
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The interior stairs that connect the two passenger decks of an Airbus A380 are shown during a press tour of the new plane at New York's Kennedy International Airport. European plane maker Airbus said, that it will stop making its superjumbo A380 in 2021 for lack of customers, abandoning the world's biggest passenger jet and one of the aviation industry's most ambitious and most troubled endeavors. AP Photo
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The first class section on board an Emirates Airbus A380. AP Photo
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First class section of an Emirates airlines Airbus A380. AP Photo
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A lounge area await guests in the second floor business class. AP Photo
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A visitor, lower left, walks out from an Airbus A380 on display at the Farnborough International Airshow. AP
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Parts of Airbus A380 airplanes are stocked at the Airbus plant. EPA
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Sections of an Airbus A380 are seen outside the final assembly line site at Airbus headquarters in Blagnac, near Toulouse, France. REUTERS
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The first Airbus A380 passenger aircraft, MSN 01, is moved between hangers at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France. Bloomberg
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Workers gather in front of the nose cone of an Airbus A380 at the opening ceremony for the new final-assembly plant at Airbus's Toulouse. Bloomberg
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Employees work on the interior fuselage section of an Airbus A380 . Bloomberg
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An employee inspects the interior of the upper passenger deck of an Airbus A380 in Hamburg. Bloomberg
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The fuselage of an Airbus A380 aircraft. Bloomberg
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A flight attendant arranges a pillow on a leather seat in a mock-up Suite, designed by Pierrejean Design Studio, during the unveiling of the new cabins for the Singapore Airlines. Bloomberg
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QTFIJCEPJQD6JBUBYP7ZCG25VI.jpg?smart=true&auth=7be010255e581dd5cdc598b5fad0c4ee87e353795fb81ddb3e135592f242e67a&width=400&height=225)
An employee inspects the surface of an Airbus A380 wing during production at the Airbus SAS factory in Broughton, UK. Bloomberg
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2AFYGQNOL6BVB4LVNDFFJAXYQA.jpg?smart=true&auth=c99fff42921291dd55707ce850eedefc30ce29de861a19985e29b023404f0215&width=400&height=225)
An Emirates Airline Airbus A380 arrives at Manchester airport in northern England. Bloomberg
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HX5PC7YI63EMYJK3GHNM7K2CCM.jpg?smart=true&auth=dc77d50d781d6abc2df82eb535e2765f89b74f3242c2a135d92c1aa84ec3341c&width=400&height=225)
Airbus CEO Tom Enders, second right, CFO Harald Wilhelm, left, president of Airbus Commercial Aricraft Guillaume Faury, second left, and Rainer Ohler, Executive Vice President Commuincations, present Airbus 2018 results in Toulouse, southern France. AP Photo
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/34DPDKS4JCO6U5PAFSKD6R4FR4.jpg?smart=true&auth=52037352dcc438323c251555a95f1cafed1b7077e3aa5f51c5bf7f1173ea407d&width=400&height=225)
An A380 Airbus superjumbo sits on the tarmac where it is dismantled at the site of French recycling and storage aerospace company Tarmac Aerosave in Tarbes, southwest France. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YWQRARHLAYDN2KNGWBCWOKPEYY.jpg?smart=true&auth=1b3c965ef38f03b2182244a0e4c53b7c7067c8ea6f8f70b3b4dbc388ff38ca25&width=400&height=225)
The iconic double-decker was a tough sale to airlines. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ECIYEYWHYOVKVKVONE7Y6RUO6A.jpg?smart=true&auth=4dededbb278b1a297d94882f97b2adf2b82afa4f1502b35f75bc6529ddb33cc3&width=400&height=225)
A Emirats first class cabin in an Airbus A380. AP Photo
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The interior stairs that connect the two passenger decks of an Airbus A380 are shown during a press tour of the new plane at New York's Kennedy International Airport. European plane maker Airbus said, that it will stop making its superjumbo A380 in 2021 for lack of customers, abandoning the world's biggest passenger jet and one of the aviation industry's most ambitious and most troubled endeavors. AP Photo
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KP5KQGJ7Q6WPNPHNF6WDXG25EA.jpg?smart=true&auth=2a1c7297d5b146fb57a6d4977652e57c36eb2bbeaa568443ff56a78c78381c9d&width=400&height=225)
The first class section on board an Emirates Airbus A380. AP Photo
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First class section of an Emirates airlines Airbus A380. AP Photo
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/NRK2PM2EZXOX4O6AAL2I5SWCBI.jpg?smart=true&auth=35d023b40f48df358896b80258e66c61fbfcefbcce16ff33fd0f7a8a634aa0d7&width=400&height=225)
A lounge area await guests in the second floor business class. AP Photo
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7WPJIBZDHOS5T3C5Q7W2TSGD6Y.jpg?smart=true&auth=cf6c8333aba1feacee41ce7015b154542daec677185b32abc8072ce7beccf83f&width=400&height=225)
A visitor, lower left, walks out from an Airbus A380 on display at the Farnborough International Airshow. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/JRQOJKHZTJXXKD2IAM2CKDLO6Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=2562de855f8ff73c6c64b70d15bd2115ed30e6bd93efc03d515bfe53206ddd3d&width=400&height=225)
Parts of Airbus A380 airplanes are stocked at the Airbus plant. EPA
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OSC46HTAFSWGNGE7MOJERB2LN4.jpg?smart=true&auth=48776ec7d12c2c4daca6da953c596f0aa1f93fb038f08eea9096f0a0f73b4c0d&width=400&height=225)
Sections of an Airbus A380 are seen outside the final assembly line site at Airbus headquarters in Blagnac, near Toulouse, France. REUTERS
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QZ4V3XFPPPOA7FMYLSXFNODUK4.jpg?smart=true&auth=56f1e1f71924c96403109c202af7da1ef0552785bdf1a1d0c31bab76fb8df5f5&width=400&height=225)
The first Airbus A380 passenger aircraft, MSN 01, is moved between hangers at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France. Bloomberg
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MT47DT32M6KEO3ZXNYD3ZKQ3PI.jpg?smart=true&auth=312618587d063c5706ef8de45d35ca0dcfde560948099ab04666002a891192af&width=400&height=225)
Workers gather in front of the nose cone of an Airbus A380 at the opening ceremony for the new final-assembly plant at Airbus's Toulouse. Bloomberg
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/K3MQ7HEKW7OJWFEQCXR2K3XC3I.jpg?smart=true&auth=9639f3b269bf98ef0e1214a53cfcb3f34d867194d88287f3d866d283e45fa743&width=400&height=225)
Employees work on the interior fuselage section of an Airbus A380 . Bloomberg
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YFKPM2NAC33PCCUJBE4KUKTH5Y.jpg?smart=true&auth=f241c36f23857db22e65f673045d8089fc2825d112d3690f1c9c430c54a96611&width=400&height=225)
An employee inspects the interior of the upper passenger deck of an Airbus A380 in Hamburg. Bloomberg
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/WHHRFR3LHEBB3ZVKC3NVDYF24I.jpg?smart=true&auth=d671ea095dbcaa60ceb2c4eff45932afd270ee254c40247728faaeb66967074e&width=400&height=225)
The fuselage of an Airbus A380 aircraft. Bloomberg
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XBBKMQWQW7QLHIRSSPIF3X45C4.jpg?smart=true&auth=721931accd89ed3da70982c127ce7a9edcc562b4586b6464bd0e5b8134537e58&width=400&height=225)
A flight attendant arranges a pillow on a leather seat in a mock-up Suite, designed by Pierrejean Design Studio, during the unveiling of the new cabins for the Singapore Airlines. Bloomberg
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QTFIJCEPJQD6JBUBYP7ZCG25VI.jpg?smart=true&auth=7be010255e581dd5cdc598b5fad0c4ee87e353795fb81ddb3e135592f242e67a&width=400&height=225)
An employee inspects the surface of an Airbus A380 wing during production at the Airbus SAS factory in Broughton, UK. Bloomberg
Why the end of the A380 superjumbo is no surprise
Passengers loved the double-decker, but market dynamics determined its future
![Deena Kamel](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F0357f044-2550-41af-bfe5-55c0fbeff34a.png?smart=true&auth=6abd6634301a14db937d0c13538c68342c45d5964b8a29e86b6af9727b83a2f9&width=70&height=70)
Deena Kamel
15 February, 2019
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