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- The A380 failed in the US partly due to a lack of a central hub structure.
- Fuel inefficiency and high maintenance costs deterred US airlines.
- US carriers prioritized frequent flights over higher capacity. //
The Airbus A380 promised to do what no commercial passenger aircraft had ever been able to do, drastically increasing capacity capabilities and per-seat performance metrics. Introduced into service in 2007 by launch customer Singapore Airlines, the double-decker jumbo was set to be the plane of the future, offering unparalleled passenger comfort and providing airlines with game-changing capacity.
Today, however, the plane's story reads differently. Only around 250 Airbus A380s ever rolled off the manufacturer's assembly lines, and even fewer remain in service today, with production halted back in 2021. The aircraft has undeniably served as a case study of manufacturer sales failure, as the jet was made for a time that no longer existed. //
The most glaring failure of the Airbus A380 was undeniably its inability to impact the American aviation market. No airline from the United States ever placed an order. The aircraft had been unable to perform in the sales department in the world's largest aviation market, a major blemish on its record.