http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32384435

Thanks for the link. Time will tell.

The 737 and 777 concept works the best. Twin engine fuel efficient and fly more of them so you have more schedules available for your passenger, and be competitive by offering more then your competition. 737 works on domestic routes and 777 works on international routes. The 787 is yet to be determined but definately the 737 and 777 are proven work horses.

 

As for Airbus they took a chance with the A380 but really they are profitable by producing the A319/A320 which is similar range to the 737 and now the A350 which is similar range to the 777. It was great they took a chance with the A380 but the returns were no where near what Boeing saw with the initial 747 back in the late 60's and the three decades that followed. I still like the A380 but the market wasn't there.

 

Air New Zealand has proven its international routes by flying the 777 in higher numbers and more availibilty and remains a profitable airline. QANTAS to a risk with the A380's and have been in financial trouble. That pretty much says it right there. Hopefully the 787 works out well for ANZ.

I sure hope not :( .  It will be a sad day when they stop making 747's.  Probably the only plane that stands out in an airport today among all the twin jets.

It will inevitably happen. Just yesterday, the BBC interviewed several businessmen in relation to airlines, aircraft and Business Class flights, for which major airlines rely on if they are going to invest in super-jumbos(take an oil-rich country like Abu Dhabi which has had to seek investor funding from Hong Kong to fund the purchase of another A380), and the group of businessmen stated that unlike days of old when they had to make flights to meet business clients, nowadays expensive Business Class flights, overseas hotel stays, etc  were no longer  a necessity as online video conferencing had taken away that expense of flights, hotels, etc and they could conclude deals much faster. That's the fact of life today. The world has shrunk.

Boeing and Airbus might of came up short on their marketing effors to predict the future, but because it takes years from concept to production perhaps the world moved on before they could implement their Jumbo's and today's markets are no longer in need of these except for a small nic market as mentioned....