Airbus to stop making struggling A380 superjumbo in 2021

European aviation giant Airbus said on Thursday it will stop making its superjumbo A380 in 2021 for lack of customers, abandoning the world's biggest passenger jet and one of the aviation industry's most ambitious and most troubled endeavours.

Barely a decade after the 500-plus-seat plane started carrying passengers, Airbus said in a statement that key client Emirates is cutting back its orders for the plane, and as a result, "we have no substantial A380 backlog and hence no basis to sustain production."

The decision could hurt up to 3,500 jobs, Airbus said. The company is releasing its 2018 annual earnings later on Thursday and said the decision is expected to impact the results.

Paolo Montecillo reports.

Boeing up

The decision is a boon for rival Boeing and a crushing blow for Airbus. The European planemaker had hoped the A380 would squeeze out Boeing's 747 and revolutionise air travel as more people take to the skies.

Instead, airlines have been cautious about committing to the costly plane, so huge that airports had to build new runways and modify terminals to accommodate it. The double-decker planes started flying in 2008 and seated more than 500 passengers.

The A380 had troubles from the start, including tensions between Airbus' French and German management and protracted production delays and cost overruns. Those prompted a company restructuring that cost thousands of jobs.

Industry experts initially expected A380s to long outlast the 747, which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year.

When it started taking on passengers in 2008, the A380 was hailed for its roominess, large windows, high ceilings and quieter engines. Some carriers put in showers, lounges, duty-free shops, bars on both decks.

Emirates sad to see end of A380

The long-haul carrier Emirates says it has struck a deal valued at $21.4 billion with Airbus, while saying it is sad to see the end of production of the double-decker A380 jetliner.

Emirates made the announcement on Thursday at the same time that Airbus in Toulouse, France announced the end of the iconic airliner's production.

The Dubai government-owned airline, based out of the world's busiest airport for international travel, had the A380 as the backbone of its fleet.

Emirates says it will receive 14 more A380s until the end of 2021, taking its total A380 orders to 123. The airline will purchase 40 A330-900 aircraft and 30 A350-900s.