5 airlines that ordered Airbus A380s but never received them

When we think of European double-decker aircraft, we usually think of Emirates (of course), Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, and a few other major airlines. However, several more had previously considered this type of operation, placed firm orders, and produced examples before the entire gig was cancelled. Today we’ll take a quick look at some of the airlines that won’t be flying the Airbus A380.

1 Virgin Atlantic Airways

Virgin Atlantic, one of the first airlines to order a superjumbo, sought to add up to six A380s to its fleet in 2001. Virgin’s new jet is unsurprisingly impressive, with Richard Branson talking about an onboard casino, nail salon, in-person duty-free shopping and private double suites, according to Executive Traveler.

But for passengers who wanted to take advantage of all the potential amenities, Virgin Atlantic continued to delay deliveries. This went on for years. In fact, it wasn’t until 2018 that the airline finally announced the cancellation of his A380 order. At the time, CEO Craig Krieger explained that the company didn’t have enough high-volume routes and didn’t have the desire to make just a few deliveries. He said,

“We don’t see a good enough market for an aircraft this large, and it doesn’t make sense to adopt just one or two aircraft because of the complexity of the aircraft.”

In 2016, Virgin Atlantic ordered an A350. So far he’s had 10 deliveries, with several more on the way, perhaps deciding he could do better business with a twin-engine widebody than a quad-engined one.

2 kingfisher airlines

Over seven years, Kingfisher has grown from a start-up Indian airline to the country’s second-largest airline. It was a very ambitious undertaking, attracting attention as India’s premium airline, but it ended up with many orders that it defaulted on. One of them was for the Airbus A380, and the airline confirmed his order for five aircraft in June 2005.

Despite everything looking normal on paper and high hopes for the expansion of its aircraft and international network, Kingfisher has never actually turned a profit and is losing money at breakneck speed. I was running out of accounts. In 2007, the company acquired Air Deccan to circumvent laws banning Air Deccan from operating international flights, followed by the 2008 financial crisis. Due to failure to pay dues, Air Deccan went into bankruptcy and soon ceased to exist, joining the list of A380 operating companies. That wasn’t the case.

3 skymark airlines

Skymark Airlines is proud to be the first Japanese airline to deliver Airbus double-decker quadjet aircraft and is a low-cost airline headquartered at Tokyo Haneda Airport. The airline wanted to operate up to six Airbus A380s in a premium density configuration for long-haul travel. European manufacturers had already produced at least two of his units and were ready to ship them immediately, but something was happening in Japan.

As DW, a well-known news organization, explained that Skymark was feeling the burden of the depreciation of the Japanese yen in 2012, Skymark was in serious trouble. It is unclear whether Skymark will be able to complete the acquisition, for which it has already spent nearly 200 million euros. Competition will increase and you may end up with a net loss at the end of the year. In 2014, Airbus and Skymark tried to talk to no avail. Airbus, fearing the plane maker would not be paid, canceled Skymark’s order, but the airline was so dissatisfied that just a few months later Skymark filed for bankruptcy, the equivalent of Japan’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy law.

Four hong kong airlines

Of all the passenger airlines on this list, Hong Kong Airlines has ordered the most A380s, with 10 planned for 2011. With the global financial crisis largely in the rearview mirror, this airline is based in a position of global importance. Hong Kong Airlines wanted to compete with the likes of Cathay Pacific by adding A380s and increasing its long-haul capacity.

Photo: Sorbis | Shutterstock.com

The following year, the airline complained not to European aircraft manufacturers, but to the European Union over its carbon tax system, which also targets non-EU airlines, Business Traveler reported. However, the real success was when HNA Group’s sister company Hong Kong Aviation Capital (HKAC) ordered 40 A320neos and 30 A321neos. Hong Kong Airlines’ Airbus A380 dreams have dwindled as it now focuses on more familiar regional travel.

Five Air Austral

The French airline, based in the overseas territory of Réunion, hundreds of kilometers east of Madagascar, has ordered just two Airbus superjumbo airliners. Notably, these high-density examples will include a mind-boggling 840 seats. Unfortunately, the A380 was not his 100% economy version.

As Business Insider explains, Air Austral and Airbus have reached an agreement to cancel two A380s due to a change in strategy by the airline. It’s probably best not to be cramped among 839 other passengers on a flight between Paris and Réunion. Interestingly, however, Air Austral eventually operated a European double-decker aircraft between these two destinations, although the units in question were rented from High Fly. At the time of landing, the flight was approximately 11 hours long, making it the longest domestic flight for an A380, and the first time a commercial A380 had touched down on the island.

source: business insider, executive traveler, D.W., Reuters, business traveler, Globetrotting at DJ’s Aviation