Airbus says it will scrap A380 programme if no new orders

There have been a total of 317 orders for the A380 since its launch in 2007.

Airbus will have no other choice but to halt the A380 programe if Dubai’s Emirates airline does not place another order, the European aerospace giant’s sales director, John Leahy, told a news conference on Monday.

In this June 18 2015 file photo, vapor forms across the wings of an Airbus A380 as it performs a demonstration flight at the Paris Air Show, Le Bourget airport, north of Paris. (AP)

Originally launched in 2007, the A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner.

Orders from Emirates, the main customer of the superjumbo, have stalled over the past two years.

There have been a total of 317 orders for the A380 since its launch in 2007.

“We are still talking to Emirates, but honestly they are probably the only one to have the ability right now on the market place to take a minimum of six per year on a period of 8 to 10 years,” Leahy said.

“Quite honestly, if we can’t work out a deal with Emirates there is no choice but to shut down the programme,” Leahy said.

“But I’m hopeful that we work out a deal with Emirates,” he added.