When Airbus conceived the A380, the world’s largest commercial airliner, the company believed there was a market for a superjumbo that would boost airlines’ ability to maximize slot-constrained hubs on the world’s busiest routes. By the time the aircraft entered service in 2007, however, emerging trends, including a shift toward long, thin point-to-point routes, saw airlines preferring newer, twin-engine widebodies. The A380 was popular with passengers, but sales never approached Airbus’ expectations, and in February 2019 the company announced it would end the program.
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