What is the airbus a380 800?

Airbus designated the aircraft A380-800 to leave room for a family that never arrived: a stretched A380-900 and a freighter, the A380F, were both offered and both cancelled, so the suffix ended up describing every A380 in existence. It is a four-engine widebody with two full-length passenger decks joined by stairs fore and aft, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP7200 engines according to customer choice. It first flew in April 2005 and entered service with Singapore Airlines in October 2007.

The wingspan is 79.75 m, which is what forces airports into the widest aerodrome category and limits the type to a modest number of prepared stands worldwide. Maximum take-off weight reaches 575 tonnes and range 8,000 nmi (14,800 km). A typical three-class cabin holds about 525 passengers, though certification allows 853 in an all-economy arrangement no airline has ever ordered. Emirates fitted more than 600 seats in a two-class layout and built an entire network around the aircraft.

Airbus delivered 251 aircraft before closing the line in 2021, far short of the programme's business case, because airlines bought efficient twins able to fly point to point instead of consolidating traffic through hubs. Passengers, however, kept choosing it: the cabin is quiet, the ride is steady, and operators have refurbished interiors rather than park the fleet. Several carriers brought stored airframes back as traffic recovered, and the type is expected to keep flying into the late 2030s on the densest long-haul routes.