One of the saddest bits of news from the aerospace industry in recent days is the almost certain demise of the Airbus A380, surely the most comfortable and majestic airliner ever designed. I fly it all the time, travelling from South Africa to London or another European city via the Middle East, and really look forward to it. It is the only plane where one does not want to get off.
Capable of carrying up to 850 passengers, it has been Airbus’s flagship project for the past two decades into which it has poured billions in development dollars (it has admitted to US$15 billion but analysts reckon it is at least $5bn more than that). Orders have never lived up to expectations and are now running dry. Emirates, which has been flying A380s since 2008, has basically kept the production line going, accounting for nearly half of the 220 planes delivered so far.
But Emirates seems to have decided that’s it. At the Dubai Airshow in November it failed to confirm a crucial $15bn order for another 36 A380s, probably sounding the death knell for this magnificent plane. At one stage Airbus was making 27 a year, but that has since halved and it needs to make at least six to eight planes a year for the next ten years to keep the production line open (Etihad has two on order).
There is a faint possibility that the Chinese might yet come to the rescue, but it is a long shot. On Monday, the company’s chief salesman, John Leahy, admitted gloomily that without an Emirates deal “we will have no choice but to shut down [the A380 production line]”. The Middle East airline has switched its allegiance to the twin-engined Boeing 787 Dreamliner instead, which is not as comfortable, but probably more practical.
In the fierce, no-holds-barred war between the two big airplane makers, Boeing has won this particular battle, although Airbus is still more than holding its own across the whole passenger jet market. Net orders rose by 52 per cent last year to 1,109, putting it well ahead of Boeing’s order book of 912 aircraft. In 2017 Airbus delivered a record 718 jets to customers, and will do even better this year.
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Read more:
Production of Airbus A380 hinges on Emirates deal
Airbus looks for lifeline in China post Emirates A380 setback
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The war between the two manufacturers is really becoming very nasty. Speaking at the UK aerospace industry's annual dinner in London on Monday night, Tom Enders, Airbus's chief executive, launched an astonishing attack on Donald Trump and the protectionist measures he has taken to defend Boeing which he reckons is threatening to wreck the whole system of free trade. "There is no one fighting for opening markets but [instead] closing US markets to foreign companies and foreign competitors," he told the black-tied dinner guests. Boeing, he went on, was "ruthlessly surfing" the US protectionist wave to smother competition, specifically the future of the Bombardier's C-series on which the US authorities are proposing to levy tariffs of 300 per cent. Airbus neatly side-stepped that one by buying a majority stake in the C-series for a nominal $1 and now plans to make it at its Alabama plant. But Boeing has hit back by partnering with a Brazilian rival, and so the ding-dong battle goes on.
Trump’s early promises of a new trade deal and of goodwill and renewed friendship towards his oldest ally are now just a joke. The thousands of workers in Belfast who currently make the C-Series fuselage are not laughing. Relations between the two countries have never been lower, as illustrated this week by Trump’s refusal to open the new US embassy in London because it is in the wrong place and was a Barack Obama idea anyway (it wasn’t – the decision to close the old embassy in Grosvenor Square was taken in George Bush’s day).
Mr Enders however has an even more important point to make (if that’s possible). Brexit, he warns, could seriously endanger the future of the aerospace in Britain and its role as a partner in Airbus. “The wreckage that President Trump will leave after four or eight years in the White House will be easier to repair than the exit of the UK from the EU,” he said on Monday.
The French, Germans and Spanish have always resented Britain’s role in the Airbus project and would love nothing more than to take away the production of the wings, currently made at the old Vickers plant in Broughton (where the Wellington bomber was produced in the War). Mr Enders has asserted many times that the UK business was Airbus’s most efficient and innovative operation. But he now warns that Brexit would strain that efficiency, add costs and “thereby curtail the competitiveness” of Airbus and Britain’s role in it.
That's unlikely to happen, and Mr Enders knows it. Airbus's UK operations can't easily be moved to a new plant in Europe, requiring yet more billions of capital investment and endangering the company's delivery schedule which is under strain already. But he still warned that whatever measures British industry took to mitigate the weakening of the trade ties between Britain and the EU, "the result of Brexit would be negative".
That’s not just scare-mongering – it’s the reality. British industry has few friends in the US. And it’s losing them fast in Europe.
Ivan Fallon is a former business editor of The Sunday Times
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Frida%20
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2025: Pakistan; 2029: India
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
BRIEF SCORES
England 228-7, 50 overs
N Sciver 51; J Goswami 3-23
India 219, 48.4 overs
P Raut 86, H Kaur 51; A Shrubsole 6-46
England won by nine runs
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Racecard:
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah (PA) | Group 2 | US$55,000 (Dirt) | 1,600 metres
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint (TB) | Group 2 | $250,000 (Turf) | 1,000m
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,600m
8.15pm: Meydan Trophy | Conditions (TB) | $100,000 (T) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Balanchine | Group 2 (TB) | $250,000 (T) | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (D) | 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,410m.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Honeymoonish
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
