Portuguese wet-lease airline Hi Fly will retire their only Airbus A380 before year’s end, as the carrier grapples with COVID-19 and the associated travel impacts. The ex-Singapore Airlines aircraft has only been in Hi Fly’s fleet for three years.
Hi Fly is planning the phase-out their A380 at the end of its current lease term, most likely later this year. The decision to not extend the initial agreed lease period came as a consequence of a lack of demand for such large aircraft.
The airline has confirmed that the A380 will be replaced by additional Airbus A330s, which are more suited to the current market conditions.
“Hi Fly belongs to the very exclusive club of only 15 airlines to ever operate the A380, the largest and most advanced aircraft of all times. This aircraft was a testimony to how far a human being can go in developing something so extraordinary.”
Hi Fly
The A380 (registered 9H-MIP) has 12 First Class Suites on the main deck and 60 Business Class seats on the upper deck. The Economy Class cabin is divided between 311 seats on the main deck and 88 on the upper deck.
In July, Hi Fly opted to temporarily convert the A380 to a freighter by removing the Economy seats.
This A380 was the sixth to roll-off Airbus’ Toulouse production line. Hi Fly has joined numerous other airlines in either grounding or retiring their A380s.