The A380’s demise may have come quicker than expected, but in today’s economic climate it’s no wonder airlines are thinking smaller, writes Alex Freeman.

On October 25, 2007, I was at Sydney airport to see the arrival of the first Airbus A380 commercial flight. Not even rain could stop thousands from gathering to see the new giant of the skies. The superjumbo brought with it the promise of more space, comfort and innovation.

Less than a decade later, in May 2017, launch customer Singapore Airlines announced it would retire the first A380s it received, replacing them with five newer frames. Not long after, Air France said it was retiring five of its ten – these wouldn’t be replaced. Then Qantas cancelled options on eight of the 20 aircraft it originally ordered, replacing them with A350s.

The biggest blow came on February 14 this year when Emirates cancelled its final 39 deliveries, closing the order book of the A380’s biggest customer. Airbus thereafter confirmed that A380 production would end by 2021. Lufthansa said it would retire six of its 14 superjumbos, with similar stories emerging from Qatar Airways and Etihad.

BIGGER IS BETTER…

So how did the A380 get left behind so quickly? In short, flexibility won over size (and grandeur). Airbus advertised the two decks of the A380 as having “a total area of 550 sqm, the same as three tennis courts”, with “a usable floor area 50 per cent higher than in the 747-4”, which the A380 was designed to replace. Space gave airlines the room to innovate beyond expectations. Singapore Airlines introduced its Suites product – private “cabins” that could be combined to create a double bed. Emirates, which had pioneered private first class suites on its A340s, made them even bigger on the A380, also adding two showers for first class passengers and a standing bar and lounge.

Etihad went one step further with the Apartment – first class suites with a separate armchair and bed. If that wasn’t enough, it also created the Residence, a two-room suite with a bedroom, shower and lounge. Airlines including Qantas offer a communal lounge, and Korean Air also has a duty-free store.

Meanwhile, at Boeing, the B787 was taking shape. First delivered to Japan’s ANA in September 2011, the Dreamliner had neither the space nor the wow factor of the superjumbo. But it did provide airlines with flexibility, something the A380 lacked.

When that first A380 flight landed in Sydney, Lehman Brothers still existed. In a post-global economic crisis world, with fuel prices unstable and demand uncertain, the need for superjumbos to transport passengers from slot-constrained hubs was superseded by demand for smaller, fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft that were easier to fill and less risky to fly half empty. The B787, and Airbus’s equivalent, the A350, can be used on longer, “thinner” routes where flexibility has more value than volume.

So British Airways can profitably operate the B787 to the Seychelles, Hyderabad and now Pittsburgh, where demand and airport infrastructure cannot support an A380. With its A350, Singapore Airlines offers the flexibility of two daily Brisbane flights while selling as many seats as a single A380 service.

So is this the end of space, luxury and innovation in long-haul travel? Certainly not. ANA recently took delivery of its first A380 with new seating in all four classes. The likes of Emirates, BA and Qantas will continue flying their A380s for many years to come; Qantas is upgrading its version with new business, premium economy and economy seats. Meanwhile Emirates launched a new first class suite, though on the B777, not the A380. Qatar Airways did the same for its Q Suite, and BA and Virgin Atlantic have unveiled next-generation business class suites, which are to debut on their A350s later this year; Virgin’s features a new lounge concept.

So innovation will be far from stagnant. Shortly after announcing that its final 39 A380s would be replaced by A330-900s and A350-900s, Emirates’ vice-president for Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Taiwan, Fernando Suarez de Gongora, said: “We can still do what we want to do with the [A330 and A350] planes in terms of providing outstanding fittings and best-in-class facilities.”

Still, we may look back in envy at the days of showers, lounges or even, well, room. Economy class has been squeezed in recent years, as space has been given to business class and premium economy, and new, thinner seat technology introduced. As many airlines now fit an additional seat per row, ticket price rather than comfort is driving innovation. A chapter of aviation history will have closed rather sooner than I would have predicted back in Sydney in 2007.

Alex Freeman is a transportation lawyer and freelance aviation and travel journalist.