Air France became the first airline to confirm the complete immediate retirement of their A380 fleet.
”Initially scheduled by the end of 2022, the phase-out of Airbus A380 fleet fits in the Air France-KLM Group fleet simplification strategy of making the fleet more competitive, by continuing its transformation with more modern, high-performance aircraft with a significantly reduced environmental footprint,”
Air France - KLM Group Statement
Prior to the pandemic, the airline had already begun withdrawing the first of their A380s in February; as part of the planned phase-out over the next three years. The first aircraft entered storage at Ireland West Airport near Knock on 20th February under the care of Eirtrade Aviation.
According to FlightGlobal, five of the Airbus A380 aircraft in the current fleet are owned by Air France or are on finance lease; a further four are on operating lease. Air France announced a fresh 500 million euro ($548.50 million) writedown as it permanently retires their A380 fleet.
In December Air France-KLM Group said they were ordering another 10 Airbus A350-900s, which would be used to replace the company’s A380s.
Farewell Air France A380
Here are pictures of Air France A380 taken in LAX and JFK, 2 of the staple Air France A380 destinations. The Air France A380 also flew to Shanghai, Johannesburg, Abidjan, San Francisco and Mexico City.
