Emirates to cancel majority of remaining Airbus A380 orders

Emirates is looking to cancel its 5 of its 8 remaining Airbus A380-800s it has on order, according to Bloomberg sources.

Emirates is the largest operator worldwide of the Airbus A380. Photo by Max Sutter | AeroNewsX

Emirates is reportedly in discussions with Airbus regarding a possible cancellation. The European manufacturer, however, has proposed a deferral in deliveries or payments as the aircraft are already in assembly. Three of these aircraft are already completed. This news, if true, comes as a major blow to the A380 program which is slated to be terminated by the end of 2021.

Estimated costs for these order cancellations could amount to US$70 million per plane, totalling US$350 million. In an article published two days ago, sources told Bloomberg that the Gulf airline was considering an accelerated retirement program for the Airbus A380. In addition, the airline was reportedly planning to cut 30,000 jobs. If confirmed, the move could break records for job cuts by airlines thanks to the coronavirus crisis. The airline will focus more heavily on the Boeing 777 when it comes to resuming operations after the coronavirus pandemic.

The Airbus A380 has been temporarily withdrawn from service by airlines across the globe as a result of the coronavirus crisis. During these unprecedented times, capacity is the last thing airlines need prompting early retirements for less-efficient jets.