Airbus will end production of its double-deck A380 superjumbo aircraft in 2021.

The announcement followed a decision by Emirates to cut its orders and take delivery of 14 additional A380s over the next two years. That decision, plus a lack of orders from other airlines, led to the A380 discontinuation.

Although Emirates cut its A380 orderbook, new orders for Airbus include 40 A330-900 and 30 A350-900 widebody aircraft.

Emirates' decision to cut its orders of the A380 led to Airbus' decision to end production. Credit: WMaarten Visser from Capelle aan den IJssel, Nederland/ CC BY-SA 2.0The A380-800 has a design range of 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km) and a cruising speed of Mach 0.85 (903 km/h; 488 kn) at altitude.

In early 2018 Airbus said that it might have to end production of the jet, citing the lack of new orders. The European aerospace group had expected another big order from Emirates in late 2017, but the airline decided instead to buy 40 Boeing 787 aircraft, known as Dreamliners.

The economics of the A380 have proved difficult, with airlines having to fly every flight at full capacity to make a profit, according to The Guardian. The A380 had a 2018 list price of $446 million.

The Feb. 14 decision to cut A380 production could affect as many as 3,500 positions. Airbus said that increased production of other models will offer a "significant number of internal mobility opportunities."

Supply chain

Major structural sections of the A380 are built in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Due to the sections' large size, pieces are brought to the Jean-Luc Lagardère Plant assembly hall in Toulouse, France, by specialized road and water transportation, as well as by the A300-600ST Beluga transport aircraft. A380 components are sourced from multiple suppliers; among the largest contributors are Rolls-Royce, Safran, United Technologies and General Electric.

The A380 made its first flight in April 2005 and entered commercial service in October 2007. The A380's upper deck extends along the entire length of the fuselage and provides seating for 525 people in a typical three-class configuration. It can hold up to 853 people in an all-economy class arrangement.

Development work on the superjumbo began in 1988 when Airbus began work on an ultra-high-capacity airliner. The goal was to expand its own range of products and to break the dominance that Boeing had in this market segment since the early 1970s with its 747.

The project was announced in 1990 with the stated goal of 15% lower operating costs than the 747-400. Airbus organized design teams, one from each of its partners (Aérospatiale, British Aerospace, Deutsche Aerospace AG and CASA). The designs were presented in 1992.