The France aviation giant reported strong results for 2017, but its costly superjumbo line is drag on performance
PARIS — Airbus could abandon its high-profile superjumbo A380 if it can’t strike a long-term deal with the Dubai-based airline Emirates for a steady supply of the costly planes.
The Toulouse, France-based aviation giant’s chief salesman John Leahy told reporters Monday that « if we can’t work out a deal with Emirates, there is no choice but to shut down the program. »
Leahy said the airline is « the only one who has the ability » to commit to a minimum of six planes a year for a minimum of eight to 10 years, which Airbus said it needs to make the program viable.
The double-decker A380 — the world’s largest passenger airplane, seating between 525 and 850 people depending on flight-class configurations — drew worldwide attention when launched a decade ago but has long generated questions as to whether it could generate enough demand.
The announcement came as Airbus announced it sold 1,109 planes last year, outstripping rival Boeing ( BA) thanks to a raft of end-of-year deals.
The European planemaker reported Monday that it delivered 718 planes in 2017, fewer than Boeing’s 763 but a record for Airbus. Outgoing CEO Fabrice Bregier said Airbus will speed up production in the coming year, notably of its long-delayed widebody A350, and hopes to out-deliver Boeing by 2020.
Bregier acknowledged « challenges » ahead but called them « manageable. » In fact, Airbus is facing multiple corruption investigations, notably in Britain, France and Austria.
In November last year, long-haul carrier Emirates purchased 40 American-made Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners at the start of the biennial Dubai Air Show, a $15.1 billion deal certain to please U. S. President Donald Trump, who has touted the plane’s sales as a job creator in America.
It was the second time Airbus has lost out on selling the A350 to Emirates. In June 2014, the state-owned Emirates cancelled an order for 70 A350s after a « fleet requirement » review.
The Boeing 787-10 typically lists for $312.8 million. Delivery will begin in 2022.
The twin-engine 787-10, however, has been a focus of Mr. Trump since he came into office. In February, he visited the Boeing plant in North Charleston, South Carolina, which manufactures the carbon-fiber, 330-seat plane Mr. Trump described as « an amazing piece of art. »
