Being mildly curious as to how the Boeing 747-8 competes with the A-380 I took a look at the Seattle site. Here's B's condensed comparisons. No wonder heads have rolled in Toulouse!
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This latest family of the 747 jetliners meets airline requirements for a passenger airplane that serves the 400- to 500-seat market between the 555-seat Airbus A380 and the 365-seat Boeing 777-300 Extended Range airplanes, and a freighter that continues the leadership of the 747 Freighter family in the world cargo market.
The 747-8 Intercontinental is more than 12 percent lighter per seat than the A380, and consumes 11 percent less fuel per passenger. That translates into a trip-cost reduction of 22 percent and a seat-mile cost reduction of more than 4 percent compared to the A380.
The 747-8 is the only large airplane that fits today's airport infrastructure, giving airlines the flexibility to fly to more destinations. The 747-8 will build on the current 747's capability to fly into most airports worldwide, using the same pilot type ratings, services and most ground support equipment. With a range of over 14,815 km (8,000 nmi), the 747-8 Intercontinental can connect nearly any major city pair in the world.
The 747-8 Intercontinental is 11 percent more fuel efficient than the A380, and offers guaranteed QC2 departures.
The 747-8 Freighter's empty weight is 86 tonnes (95 tons) lighter than the A380 freighter. This results in a 25 percent lower fuel burn per ton, which translates into 20 percent lower trip costs and 23 percent lower ton-mile costs than the A380F.