Airbus Group, which has failed to find a new airline buyer for its A380 superjumbo this year, is at a crossroads that leaves it with two directions: spend heavily to improve the plane - or let it go.

This year is shaping up to be the first since the doubledecker entered service without a new airline customer. Its only buyer was a leasing company that has yet to line up a single carrier to take any of the 20 planes it ordered.

Only 18 months ago Qantas and Emirates showcased two A380s flying over Sydney - but the era of the superjumbo may be short-lived.

The backlog remains as thin as it is fragile, highlighted by the cancellation of six jets ordered by Japan's Skymark Airlines, with two close to handover.

In its seventh year in operation, the aircraft that cost $US25 billion ($30.1 billion) to develop threatens to become a costly misstep.