A380

The Airbus A380, commonly referred to as the A380, is a large, long-range, four-engine airliner developed and manufactured by Airbus. It features two full passenger decks along most of its length and is designed for high-capacity, long-haul routes. The aircraft was intended to enable hub-and-spoke networks with very high passenger loads on key trunk routes and to compete with the Boeing 747.

Development and design: The A380 program, aimed at replacing older high-capacity jets, was launched in the 1990s with formal product definition in the early 2000s. The first flight occurred in 2005, and the A380 entered commercial service in 2007 with Singapore Airlines. It is powered by four engines, with two main engine options used by operators: Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP7000. The wingspan is about 79.8 meters (261 feet 8 inches), the length about 72.7 meters, and the aircraft is capable of carrying a wide range of seating configurations.

Variants and production: The primary version is the A380-800, which has a typical seating range from around 525 in a three-class layout to more than 850 in high-density arrangements. The aircraft has a stated range of roughly 8,000 nautical miles (about 14,800 kilometers). Production ended in 2021 after delivering 251 aircraft to 14 operators, a result of shifting market demand toward more fuel-efficient twin-engine wide-bodies. Major operators included Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Lufthansa, British Airways, and others.

Operational history and status: While the A380 set standards for passenger capacity and cabin experience, its long-term market position has been influenced by ongoing efficiency advantages and network flexibility of newer twin-engine aircraft. Some fleets have retired original airframes ahead of earlier projections, though a number of carriers continue to operate A380s on high-demand routes.