Martin Pugsley, aviation finance expert and head of DWF's financial services practice, said: “The A380’s target market was always the biggest airlines – those which dominate the transcontinental routes between the world’s major aviation hubs.
“For numerous reasons – namely the preference for smaller, more efficient jets – these customers have rejected the superjumbo model. But the real growth markets for the aviation sector are in the developing world. We are seeing ambitious airlines emerge , particularly in Africa and South America, and these players are concentrating on regional networks which they can scale up quickly and service with a large fleet. The onus in these growth markets will be on low-cost, single-aisle planes.”