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Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 is a very large wide-body airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner. Airbus studies started in 1988, and the project was announced in 1990 to challenge the dominance of the Boeing 747 in the long-haul market. The then-designated A3XX project was presented in 1994; Airbus launched the €9.5–billion ($10.7–billion) A380 programme on 19 December 2000. The first prototype was unveiled in Toulouse on 18 January 2005, with its first flight on 27 April 2005. It then obtained its type certificate from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 12 December 2006.

"A380" redirects here. For other uses, see A380 (disambiguation).

Due to difficulties with the electrical wiring, the initial production was delayed by two years and the development costs almost doubled. It was first delivered to Singapore Airlines on 15 October 2007 and entered service on 25 October. Production peaked at 30 per year in 2012 and 2014. However, after the largest customer, Emirates, reduced its last order in February 2019, Airbus announced that A380 production would end in 2021. On 16 December 2021, Emirates received its 123rd A380, which was the 251st and last delivered by Airbus. The A380's estimated $25 billion development cost was not recouped by the time Airbus ended production.


The full-length double-deck aircraft has a typical seating for 525 passengers, with a maximum certified capacity for 853 passengers. The quadjet is powered by Engine Alliance GP7200 or Rolls-Royce Trent 900 turbofans providing a range of 8,000 nmi (14,800 km; 9,200 mi). As of December 2021, the global A380 fleet had completed more than 800,000 flights over 7.3 million block hours with no fatalities and no hull losses. As of December 2022, there were 237 aircraft in service with 16 operators worldwide.

Emirates A380's old business class

Emirates A380's old business class

Etihad Airways A380's The Residence suite

Etihad Airways A380's The Residence suite

Emirates A380's onboard lounge and bar

Emirates A380's onboard lounge and bar

Emirates A380's shower and spa

Emirates A380's shower and spa

- 3 currently operated, in service since 24 May 2019[390]

All Nippon Airways

- 6 currently operated, in service since 13 June 2014[391] To be retired in 2026.[392]

Asiana Airlines

- 12 currently operated, in service since 2 August 2013[393]

British Airways

- 123 currently operated, in service since 1 August 2008[394][98] To be retired by 2035.[395]

Emirates

- 4 currently operated, in service since 27 December 2014[396][397]

Etihad Airways

- 10 currently operated, in service since 17 June 2011[398] To be retired in 2026.[392]

Korean Air

- 4 currently operated, in service since 10 June 2011[399][400] To be retired after 2030.[401]

Lufthansa

- 10 currently operated, in service since 20 October 2008[99] To be retired from 2032.[402]

Qantas

- 10 currently operated, in service since 10 October 2014[403] To be retired.[404]

Qatar Airways

- 12 currently operated, in service since 25 October 2007[92]

Singapore Airlines

The fourth test A380 (MSN4) was donated to the at Le Bourget in 2017.[416] After several months of restoration, it was put on display on the apron in 2018, near the museum's Boeing 747-100, making the museum the first in the world where both large airliners can be seen together.

Musée de l'air et de l'espace

Donated by Airbus at the same time as A380 MSN4, the second test A380 (MSN2), was donated to the museum at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, Toulouse, along with the first Airbus A320 and an Airbus A340, that had also previously been used by the company for test flights.[417]

Aeroscopia

On 4 November 2010, , en route from Singapore Changi Airport to Sydney Airport, suffered an uncontained engine failure, resulting in a series of related problems, and forcing the flight to make an emergency landing. The plane safely returned to Singapore. There were no injuries to the passengers, the crew, or people on the ground despite debris falling onto the Indonesian island of Batam.[421] The A380 was damaged sufficiently for the event to be classified as an accident.[422] Qantas subsequently grounded all of its A380s that day subject to an internal investigation taken in conjunction with the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce plc. A380s powered by Engine Alliance GP7000 were unaffected, but operators of Rolls-Royce Trent 900-powered A380s were affected. Investigators determined that an oil leak, caused by a defective oil supply pipe, led to an engine fire and subsequent uncontained engine failure.[423] Repairs cost an estimated A$139 million (~US$145M).[424] As other Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines also showed problems with the same oil leak, Rolls-Royce ordered many engines to be changed, including about half of the engines in the Qantas A380 fleet.[425] During the aeroplane's repair, cracks were discovered in wing structural fittings, which also resulted in mandatory inspections of all A380s and subsequent design changes.[106]

Qantas Flight 32

On 30 September 2017, , an Engine Alliance GP7270 powered Airbus A380, suffered an apparent uncontained engine failure while operating from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Los Angeles International Airport.[426] The aircraft safely diverted to CFB Goose Bay, Canada.[427]

Air France Flight 66

The global A380 fleet has zero fatalities and no hull loss accidents as of December 2023,[418] but was involved in two notable incidents.[418][419][420]

Crew: 2 (cockpit)

Capacity: Passengers: 575 typical, 853 max
Cargo: 175.2 m3 (6,190 cu ft)
Maximum payload 84 t (185,000 lb)

[428]

Length: 72.72 m (238 ft 7 in)

Wingspan: 79.75 m (261 ft 8 in) with a wing sweep of 33.5°

[429]

Width: 7.14 m (23 ft 5 in)

Height: 24.09 m (79 ft 0 in)

Wing area: 845 m2 (9,100 sq ft)

[430]

Empty weight: 285,000 kg (628,317 lb)

Max takeoff weight: 575,000 kg (1,267,658 lb)

Fuel capacity: 253,983 kg (559,937 lb), 323,546 litres (85,472 US gal, 71,173 imp gal)

[241]

Powerplant: 4 × turbofan, 348 kN (78,000 lbf) thrust each 332.44–356.81 kN (74,740–80,210 lbf)[154]

Trent 970-84/970B-84

Airbus A330

Airbus A340

Airbus A350

Related development


Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era


Related lists

Official website

. Flight International. June 2005.

"A380 Special Report"

(2003–2006). "Project " A380: Photographs / Audio Visual".

Mark Power

. FlightGlobal. 27 February 2007.

"Airbus A380 Aircraft Profile"

Max Kingsley-Jones (9 November 2017). . Flightglobal.

"The path to an A380 century at Emirates"

David Kaminski-Morrow (9 July 2018). . Flightglobal.

"Analysis: A380 scrapes along in hope of revival"

Jens Flottau; Rupa Haria. . Aviation Week Network.

"End of the Mega-Transport: Highs and Lows of the Airbus A380"