The A380 performs an invaluable role on the carrier's high-capacity, high-value routes.

The A380's engine choice hinged on a battle between British and American aerospace giants. But why did Airbus allow such a rivalry in the first place?

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Michael Goldstein is a journalist and playwright based in Los Angeles. The last A380 rolled out of the Airbus plant in Toulouse, ...