The Airbus A380 has been flying for more than 15 years at airports around the world and it is certainly one of the most ambitious civil aircraft program of all time. But does that mean it has been successful, or, perhaps a better question is, will it ever be successful?
Even though Airbus has done a terrific job in designing and building this impressive aircraft, that's really only part of the story because now that this superjumbo has been operational for several years, it and Airbus still face several hurdles to keep it flying.
Despite, or more accurately because of, the record-setting size and capacity of the A380, the media, aviation experts, the public and others began asking questions almost immediately about this new aircraft.
Where can it land? What airport can handle hundreds of passengers getting on and off one aircraft at the same time? Can airlines really sell enough tickets to make money on each flight? And one question that nobody really wanted to ask was, of course, what would happen in the event of a disaster?
The Airbus A380 Story describes how those questions were answered and solutions found but other questions and problems still persist.
The Airbus A380 Story is more than the story of the development of the A380, although its development must be mentioned in virtually any book about the A380. This book is also interested in what the future has in store for this remarkable aircraft, or perhaps, what this remarkable aircraft has in store for the future.
Marketing and promoting the A380 and finding enough customers for the aircraft is a major task for Airbus as you'll read in The Airbus A380 Story because the aircraft now faces competition from unexpected sources.
Aviation technology, especially with engines, has changed greatly in the last 15 years and both Airbus and Boeing are trying to overcome the possibility of that the days of the four-engine jumbojets and superjumbos, such as the A380 and Boeing 747-400, are numbered as airlines are looking at the more efficient current twin-engine long range aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Although these aircraft are only twin-engine, they can carry almost as many passengers as some A380 configurations.
The Airbus A380 Story provides current information about other market information for the A380. Why don't any U.S. airlines currently operate the A380? There are, furthermore, only seven airports in the U.S. and two in Canada that by July 2014 have regularly scheduled A380 service, either on a year-round or seasonal basis. Will this set to change in the future?
And what happened to the high hopes in the expanding cargo/freight market in Europe, North America and Asia and the planned Airbus A380F freighter aircraft?
These are a few of the questions facing Airbus as we're entering the last half of 2015 and that we try to answer in The Airbus A380 Story.
It's been a remarkable story so far but perhaps only time will tell whether the A380 will ultimately be successful.
**MAIN CONTENTS**
Jumbo Jets Take Flight
A3XX To A380
Airports Prepare
Welcome Aboard
The A380 Market
A380 Fuel Management
