A380 Update
A380 Update

2020 has been a tough year for the Airbus A380. As the largest passenger aircraft in the world, there are currently no routes that can support such a large passenger volume at this time.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 15 airlines that operated a total of 238 A380s. Each airline has come up with different countermeasures to minimise its losses in the past months. Let’s take a look at each A380 operator’s plan for the Super Jumbo jet.

Airbus
Airbus A380

Air France

Air France is the first airline that officially announced the retirement of its entire fleet of Airbus A380s. The airline operated 10 A380-800s from 2009 and retired them in May 2020.

Last December Air France-KLM Group said they were ordering another 10 Airbus A350-900s, which would be used to replace the company’s A380s.

Air France’s A380s have been flying to Los Angeles, New York JFK, Shanghai, Johannesburg, Abidjan, San Francisco and Mexico City.

a group of airplanes on a runway
Air France Airbus A380

All Nippon Airways

All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the latest A380 operator. The airline has an order of three, each featuring a unique colour scheme inspired by the Hawaiian sky, ocean and sunset. These aircraft flew exclusively on the Tokyo-Narita to Honolulu route.

Two of the three were delivered last year and the last one was scheduled to be delivered in April. However, ANA has postponed the inauguration of the last of three A380s in sunset orange livery, amid the decline in travel demand due to the coronavirus crisis.

With the Tokyo-Narita to Honolulu route suspended from March 25th, the two ANA Flying Honu A380 aircraft have been grounded.

a blue and white airplane with a face painted on it
ANA Airbus A380

Asiana Airlines

Asiana Airlines has a fleet of six Airbus A380s that operated about 300 flights per month before COVID-19. All six have been grounded since April.

These aircraft used to fly to Bangkok, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo. Asiana has no plans to resume A380 flights anytime soon.

According to Business Korea, 132 out of the 143 A380 pilots of Asiana Airlines have lost their license due to the lack of work since March this year.

a plane flying in the sky
Asiana Airbus A380

British Airways

British Airways has a fleet of twelve Airbus A380s, previously being flown to destinations in the United States but also Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Singapore and Vancouver.

In early April, the carrier sent six of their fleet of 12 to the French airport of Chateauroux for long term storage. About a week after that, the other six followed.

British Airways Pilot Strike
British Airways Airbus A380

China Southern Airlines

China Southern Airlines has been the only airline that has been operating Airbus A380 scheduled flights for the past few months.

China Southern has a fleet of five Airbus A380s, which are all based in Guangzhou.

These aircraft are still flying internationally to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands and Australia. Domestically they are mainly operated on the Beijing-Guangzhou route.

a plane taking off from a runway
China Southern Airbus A380

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways has a fleet of 10 Airbus A380s, featuring the industry-leading cabin product – the Residence.

These aircraft used to fly to London, Paris, New York, Seoul and Sydney.

The whole fleet has been grounded since March.

Etihad 50% Bonus Travel Voucher
Etihad Airbus A380

Emirates

Emirates is the single largest Airbus A380 operator in the world. With a total order of 123 A380s, 115 of which have been delivered.

Currently, Emirates entire fleet of 115 A380s is grounded in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Announced earlier this week, the Emirates A380 will return to the skies with flights to London Heathrow and Paris starting from July 15th. Other aircraft will come back into service gradually.

Emirates Cancel A380
Emirates Airbus A380

Hi Fly

Portuguese airline Hi Fly is the only airline in the world that operates a second-hand Airbus A380. The aircraft previously belonged to Singapore Airlines.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, this aircraft has been assigned various special tasks. Starting with the UK government chartering the aircraft to perform a repatriation flight from China to Europe. Hi Fly have since used the aircraft to carry medical supplies to various countries around the world.

HiFly Unveils Airbus A330neo Cabin
HiFly Airbus A380

Korean Air

Korean Air also has a fleet of 10 Airbus A380s, the same as Asiana the other South Korean carrier.

These aircraft used to fly to London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Taipei and Sydney.

The whole fleet has been grounded since March.

a blue airplane on a runway
Korean Air Airbus A380

Lufthansa

Lufthansa has a fleet of 14 Airbus A380s, half based in Munich and the other half based in Frankfurt.

Last month, Lufthansa sent seven Airbus A380 to the aircraft graveyard located in Teruel, Spain. These aircraft will not return to the sky again.

Lufthansa intends to trim half of their Airbus A380 operations, by only using them from Munich in the future.

a white and blue airplane

Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines has a fleet of 6 Airbus A380s. The airline has used these aircraft in a similar way to Hi Fly.

Given that Malaysia is a significant producer of rubber gloves, Malaysia Airlines used their largest aircraft to send them round the world.

Before COVID-19, these aircraft were mainly used on South East Asia to Saudi Arabia routes for Islamic Pilgrimage.

an airplane parked at an airport with National Naval Aviation Museum in the background
Malaysia Airlines Airbus A380

Qantas

Qantas has a fleet of 12 Airbus A380s, which are all grounded.

Six of the 12 will be upgraded with the latest Business Class seats and in-flight lounges whilst they are grounded.

These assets will be idle for the foreseeable future, which represents a significant percentage of their remaining useful life.

a large airplane taking off
Qantas Airbus A380

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has a fleet of 10 Airbus A380s, all are going to be retired by 2028.

These flagship aircraft have been grounded since March and will remain grounded until the second half of 2021.

Previously, these aircraft operated flights to Bangkok, Guangzhou, Frankfurt, London, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Paris.

Qatar Airways Increases Capacity
Qatar Airways Airbus A380

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is the launch operator of the Airbus A380. With a total order of 24, all have been delivered and 5 have already been retired. Singapore Airlines flew the world’s first A380 back in October 2007.

Of the five already left the fleet, four went to the Dr. Peters Group for scrapping and one to Hi Fly.

Of the other 19, all are currently grounded, with some of them being located in Australia’s Alice Springs.

an airplane on a runway
Singapore Airlines Airbus A380

Thai Airways

Thai Airways has a fleet of 6 Airbus A380s, all are currently grounded and stored.

Thai Airways has been in a difficult financial position for years, with the situation only worsening this year due to COVID-19. While there is no information on when the aircraft will return, the airline is also not planning to retire them.

These aircraft used to fly to Frankfurt, London, Osaka, Paris and Tokyo.

a large white and purple airplane on a runway
Thai Airbus A380