Bye bye Big Bird

Oh wow this is interesting!

Don't worry, they will still be around for a while. 747s are still in use, and they went into service in 1970.

Still, 'tis a shame - everyone should have that experience of taking a shower at 30,000 feet.

When Concord was shelved it was because speed for inter continental air travel wasn't the overriding consideration, plus the costs per passenger, plus the massively complex technology involved in Concord (worth a read up on that subject!), plus the problem of the sonic boom nuisance all conspired against the plane and its concept.

Thus you would have thought the A380 ticked all the required boxes. But apparently, smaller, wide bodied, twin engined jets are now thought to be the way forward (quieter, more efficient engines). One BBC news article says that the Boeing 747 has seen off the A380, but in my opinion the Boeing Dreamliner (and similar variants of the Airbus) have sealed the fate of the A380. The 747 will probably have the last laugh though as it will continue to be manufactured as a freight only aircraft for some years to come. It also seems likely that the expense of the A380 works against it and the project is unlikely ever to show a profit given the now vastly reduced order book..

I enjoyed my A380 experience very much, although I did wonder as we first saw it through the glass at Heathrow how on earth something that big would fly! That said, I think that about most aircraft every time I board one!

I have long been a Boeing fan ( "If it ain't Boeing, I'm not going"), and choose the 747 whenever I can.

But I have to admit that we have flown the A380 twice, when our chosen flight did not offer a 747. Once was on Qantas to Sydney (lucked into First Class for that) and once on BA to Vancouver from London, when our usual Seattle flight was scheduled to be a 777. We really liked the 380. It was comfortable and very smooth, and did not make weird noises like the 319-320.

The passengers and the market decided they preferred smaller planes because they could offer more frequent and more direct flights to many destinations rather than one giant plane a day to that destination that then might also require a connecting flight.

While the engineering was amazing for the 380, I can understand why it was a commercial failure.

Sad but understandable from an economic standpoint. My wife and I flew an Air France A380 back from Paris to JFK in 2017 and I booked it just so I could fly on it. Was a wonderful experience. So much nicer than the Delta 767 we had flown over on to start that trip. Sure hope to be able to do it again. Such a beautiful aircraft.

The passengers and the market decided they preferred smaller planes because they could offer more frequent and more direct flights to many destinations rather than one giant plane a day to that destination that then might also require a connecting flight.

Although I do agree that many passengers prefer more frequent, direct connections (though not generally above price considerations), I don't think most passengers have a clue what type of plane they are flying in, be they big or small.

If you want to fly on a 380, they will be around for a while, so do not despair. Its not like it's a recall of a bad batch of hotdogs.

After seeing the loading process at SFO, it became clear that the only way I would ever go on one would be as a biz class passenger. The loading for the serfs and galley slaves looked awful.

I’ve ridden both business and serf in that plane. Love the bells and whistles, but would happily go serf-class again on an A380. Love that plane, upper deck, rear.

Don't worry, they will still be around for a while. 747s are still in
use, and they went into service in 1970.

Apple and Oranges. Boeing released nine different variants of the 747 over the years, constantly improving and modify the original design. The A380 has just one. Ten years from now they will be dinosaurs.

And EU taxpayers get stuck for $30 billion plus that will never be paid back

Ten years from now they will be dinosaurs.

I beg to differ. Ten years from now, they will be the private jets of the oligarch class, the ultimate status symbol, and much sought after. That's a lot of room for your entourage and your jacuzzi.

I was very surprised to hear of the end of the A380, as I thought it was very popular with airlines. I suppose if the orders have decreased, it comes down to simply a business decision. Although the 747 is still in production, it seems to be more popular these days as a cargo aircraft.

I think the fact that they are limited on the airports that they can fly into will prevent these from ever becoming luxury private jets. The fact that the first production models are being cannabalized for parts indicates that they are not long for this world.

The Dreamliner I last flew on to CDG was the best plane I personally have ever flown. I suspect that this will be the next commercial airrliner that has a 40-50 year lifespan.

"Ten years from now they will be dinosaurs."

I beg to differ - they are already dinosaurs judging by the fact that one is already in storage waiting to be dismantled and two more are scheduled to be retired by their owners this year. There apparently is no secondhand market for them...

And EU taxpayers get stuck for $30 billion plus that will never be
paid back

You got that right. As one of local papers said, the A380 debacle is "a lesson for young socialists". State planners cannot outguess markets. The A380 was underwritten by massive European government subsidies meaning the taxpayers footed and continue to foot the bill. Emirates cancelled its order thereby sealing the fate of this massive aircraft. None of the US airlines ordered the A380. European state bureaucrats assumed that passengers worldwide would want to pay more to fly the A380 -- not nearly enough did. Airlines with the A380 were losing money flying with often half or more of the 535 seats empty. Worse, it wasn't gas efficient unlike the 787 Dreamliner and the A350.

Boeing management was criticized for not coming up with a product to compete with the A380. As a business, they looked at the market like a business and forecasted that it wasn't going to evolve into one favorable by passengers for the expensive ticket prices on a superjumbo aircraft. German and French politicians ignored such considerations. They wanted a showy statement about Europe's technological prowess without considering if passengers actually demanded it. This is a colossal fail with European tax payers holding the bag.

The 747 has been around for 50 years and while passenger aircraft orders are dwindling, the cargo 747 is still in demand. The first A380 was rolled out only 14 years ago and it's now kaput. It joins the Concorde.

There are airlines that might pick up the second hand planes (as 747 replacements mainly) but that would be fairly limited.

A plane that was originally considered to be 20 years ahead of its time through its construction materials has proved to be 10 years too late because of its 4 engine configuration.

Anyone big in the aerospace industry seems to get subsidies from governments one way or another.

I love the serf section on the upper deck. For as large as it was I was amazed at how quickly it got in the air. Will be sorry to see it go.

Looks like Boeing was right ... there is not a sufficient market for a super jumbo jet. As the A380 slides into oblivion the Boeing 747 observes its 50th anniversary by launching the 747-9.