Qantas drops order for eight Airbus superjumbo jets
Australian airline Qantas has cancelled an order for eight Airbus SE A380 superjumbo jets, in the latest blow for the model.
“Following discussions with Airbus, Qantas has now formalised its decision not to take eight additional A380s that were ordered in 2006,” a Qantas spokesman said.
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“These aircraft have not been part of the airline’s fleet and network plans for some time.”
Instead the airline plans to upgrade its existing fleet of 12 A380s, beginning this year.
Other airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, have scrapped plans to buy more A380s, while Emirates and Air France were reportedly scaling back their orders.
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The superjumbo has only hit a quarter of the sales the company estimated when it introduced the plane more than 10 years ago, with the latest cancellation driving questions on how long Airbus can continue to manufacture the model.