Summary Airbus A380's production delays affected the wiring, with over 100,000 wires and 40,000 connectors redone. Assembly process challenges stemmed from diverse work cultures, software incompatibilities, and multiple location sub-assemblies. Despite production ending, A380s remain beloved, flown nearly a million flights, carrying 300 million passengers.
The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest passenger aircraft. After over a decade of research and development, Airbus launched the double-decker jet in December 2000. The maiden flight took place from Toulouse, France, five years later, on April 27, 2005.
The initial production that was supposed to start in 2004 was delayed by over two years due to difficulties in electrical wiring. Airbus delivered its first aircraft to Singapore Airlines on October 15, 2007. The superjumbo entered service with the airlines on October 25, 2007.
The wiring problem During the summer of 2004, large sections of fuselage arrived in Toulouse from various A380 production sites as part of the final assembly process. A team of 200 German engineers and mechanics arrived in Toulouse to lay hundreds of kilometers of electrical wiring onboard the first plane. An Airbus A380 has over 330 miles (530 km) of electrical wiring.
The Airbus A380's cockpit and cabin have large commonalities, in terms of systems, controls, and processes. As such, all wires connecting the systems must be consistent and show work across the entire cabin and its systems. According .