Qantas said Thursday it formally cancelled a longstanding order for eight Airbus SE A380 superjumbo jets. The decision, which will remove the order placed in 2006 from the Airbus order book, comes as new doubts have been raised about the future of the four-engined A380. Dubai's Emirates is exploring switching some orders for the superjumbo to the smaller A350 in a move that has Airbus looking closely at closing A380 factories sooner than expected, people familiar with the matter told Reuters last week. A Qantas spokesman said the airline had formalized its decision to cancel the order for eight A380s following discussions with Airbus. "These aircraft have not been part of the airline's fleet and network plans for some time," the Qantas spokesman said. Qantas has 12 A380s in its fleet and the spokesman said it would proceed with plans to refurbish the cabins starting in the middle of this year, with the jets set to remain flying with the airline "well into the future". An Airbus spokesman said the manufacturer had agreed to the "contract amendment" announced by Qantas.<br/>
oneworld
BA is to leave its own terminal at New York’s JFK airport and move in with its alliance partner, American Airlines. The move from Terminal 7 to 8 will take place in 2022. BA is the only non-US airline to have a terminal at New York’s premier airport. It has occupied Terminal 7 for decades, including through the Concorde era. It is the main tenant but shares the terminal with its sister airline, Iberia, and eight other airlines. The move to Terminal 8 will allow Terminal 7 to be demolished to accommodate a much-expanded presence for the “home town” airline, jetBlue. BA and the airport owner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, are investing GBP250m “to recreate and customise” Terminal 8, with additional stands, improved baggage systems and new lounges. Yet BA is to pump another GBP52m into the existing facility to see it through the next three years, to provide “brand new lounges for First and Club World customers and an upgraded customer experience for all customers”. BA’s chairman and CE, Alex Cruz, said: “We look forward to working with the Port Authority and American Airlines to continue building a world-class transatlantic travel experience in our new home from 2022.”<br/>