The best years lie ahead for the Airbus A380 super-jumbo despite falling sales.
The claim was made by the head of Airbus aircraft operations at the Farnborough Airshow
Tom Williams insisted the A380’s absence from the flagship show had nothing to do with falling sales.
It is the first time in more than a decade that the aircraft has been absent from the global showcase.
Williams told the BBC Airbus decided to display its latest products.
An Emirates order for A380s earlier this year has helped bolster the programme.
The European aircraft manufacturer, whose wings are made in the UK, has become dependent on the Dubai-based airline to keep A380 production alive.
Production has been cut several times due to high operating costs and competition from more efficient and smaller rival aircraft. Airbus is expected to produce just eight A380s next year.
However, Williams, chief operating officer for Airbus Commercial Aircraft, said:
“We are bringing the newest products [to Farnborough] to show them off, and there is a limit to how many aircraft we can bring.
“That doesn’t mean, by any means, that we have given up on the A380. We are still fully committed.
“It’s my personal belief that the A380 still has its best years ahead of us, which I think will come as we go into the next decade.”
Williams believes a rise in global air travel over the next ten years, coupled with increasingly congested airports, will help increase demand for the 550-seat A380.