Image: Airbus
Qantas Airlines has cancelled an order for eight Airbus A380 jets. The eight aircraft were part of a larger order for 20 A380s placed in 2006. According to Qantas, the airline is instead planning to upgrade the twelve A380s it is currently operating. Airbus said in early January that it will need to end production of the A380 without more orders, a statement the company first made in 2014.
On Jan. 18, Emirates Airlines, which operates a fleet of more than 100 A380s, announced a $16 billion deal with Airbus for 36 additional A380 aircraft including 20 firm orders and 16 options. However, Airbus confirmed on Jan. 31 that it was back in discussions with Emirates regarding the A380 contract. Airbus said that details of the discussions would be kept confidential, but it has been reported that Emirates is considering switching to the smaller A350.
List price for the A380 is $445.6 million. The four-engine jet can carry 544 passengers and, according to Airbus, has flown more than 500,000 revenue flights and carried over 190 million passengers since its introduction in 2007.
