Emirates Airline took delivery Friday on its 100th A380, and hinted it may order even more than the 40 remaining in their contract with Airbus.
As it is, Emirates operates just under half of all the world's A380s. That ratio won't change after the remaining 40 are delivered, because Airbus's total sales for the double-deck 4-engine super-jumbo only total 315.
And that 315 figure is considered soft, because a number of orders are from airlines that have changed plans, gone out of business, or changed their business plans. Most airline orders in recent years have been for more fuel-efficient two-engine planes, both in the long and short-haul markets.
In fact, the lack of deep interest in the A380 has led to widespread speculation for the past couple of basically order-less years that Airbus would have to shut down the line before all orders are completed to avoid huge losses. A new order from Emirates might change that picture; if there's a deal, it may be announced at the upcoming Dubai Airshow.
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