Airbus SE has decided to stop making the A380 double-decker after a dozen years in service, burying a prestige project that won the hearts of passengers and politicians but never the broad support of airlines that instead preferred smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft.
Production of the jumbo jet will end by 2021, after the A380's biggest customer, Emirates, and a handful of remaining buyers receive their last orders. The Gulf carrier will pare down its current A380 order to 14 from 53, Airbus said in a statement Thursday. Emirates said separately it would purchase 70 smaller A330neo and A350 wide-bodies listed at $21.4 billion before customary discounts.
"Today's announcement is painful for us and the A380 communities worldwide" Airbus Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders said in a statement. Airbus said as many as 3,500 jobs are affected by the decision.