wrote:
Also if you look at the A350, it's essentially a 777 with GEnx engines,
except it's coming in a mere 18 years after the 777 did)

Ha! Don't tell Airbus that smirk


So, I guess the simplest way of saying it (now that I've wasted a whole
page) is that with the A380 Airbus put all their eggs in one basket,
Boeing released 3 reworked/re-engineered designs and one new one, along
with development on 2 more expected within the decade, they diversified
and split Airbus's potential market base.

Airbus sees the market differently than Boeing. They did definitely tie
up huge resources on the A380 program which will affect the A350XWB and
next-gen A320 redesign. They can't afford to lose out on the narrowbody
market. 747-8 is seen as being less risky than a clean sheet design.

Furthermore the A380 was supposed to be in service right now with Emirates and Singapore, but now it looks like the 787 might barely beat the A380 to service (mind
you they haven't even built a single 787 yet).

Last I read, Singapore Airlines is schedule to get an A380 (one) in 4Q
2007 with 25 or so more to be delivered in '08.