Airbus's decision in 2007 to pursue the 853-seat A380 was diametrically opposed to Boeing's bet on the Dreamliner, marketed as a more efficient plane that could be used for both medium and long-distance flights.

Despite Airbus's insistence that larger planes costing 535 million euros ($437 million) were the best way to tackle higher oil prices and environmental concerns, the A380's order book has always been lacking. [...]

Abandoning the superjumbo would be a disappointing defeat for the Toulouse, France-based firm, which spent many years and many billions developing the behemoth, while forcing airports to build longer runways to allow it to land.