Emirates offers A380 a lifeline, signing US$16b deal with Airbus

The Airbus A380 lives on, for now. Emirates threw a lifeline Thursday to the A380, putting in a US$16b order for up to 36 of the planes to be delivered starting from 2020. The agreement, which includes a firm commitment to buy 20 aircraft and an option for 16 more, comes just days after Airbus said it would end production of the A380 if it did not receive more orders. When Airbus started delivering the A380 a decade ago, it pitched the plane as the future of aviation, offering a solution to airport congestion and to increased demand for international travel. The number of planes that can land at an airport on a given day is limited so the A380, with the capacity to carry more than 500 passengers, would allow airlines to transport more passengers. But the bet on the 4-engine plane turned out to be a financial disaster for Airbus. <br/>