Lack Of Orders May Spell The End Of The Superjumbo

Airbus hasn't seen a single order for its double-decker A380 superjumbo airliner this year, and that has the planemaker considering whether to continue to build the airplane.

Bloomberg reports that Airbus expects that it will break even on the A380 through 2017, but then the company will have to decide whether to re-engine the airplane or discontinue it entirely.

The assessment came from Airbus CFO Harald Wilhelm at an investors meeting Wednesday. Wilhelm said that the only buyer for the A380 in 2014 was a leasing company which has yet to get a commitment from a carrier to take any of the 20 airplanes it has on order. Additionally, Japan's Skymark Airlines cancelled its order for six A380s with two nearing completion.

Airlines that have bought the A380 are having difficulty filling the seats, according to Bloomberg. One exception is Emirates Airlines, which says it regularly flies the A380 at near capacity.

Overall, Airbus has taken orders for only 318 A380s, compared to the 1,200 they forecast when they began marketing the airplane in 2000.

Richard Aboulafia, vice president at the Teal Group, told Bloomberg that he thinks the A380s days are numbered. "I don't think it lasts more than a few years into the next decade," he said. Airbus is expected to make a final decision about the program next year.

FMI: www.airbus.com