Where have all the Airbus A380s gone?

Fewer than 10 of the 246 Airbus A380 superjumbos built are still flying. What happened to the others? Will they ever return?

Grounded Aircraft including Airbus A380s, Boeing MAX 8s at the Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage facility in Alice Springs. Picture: Getty Images

The impact of the COVID crisis on the global A380 fleet has been starkly illustrated by this Flight Radar image, showing just six of the superjumbos in operation.

Two others, including a Qantas A380 and a British Airways’ aircraft were captured by Flight Radar in storage in the US and France respectively, undergoing routine power-ons to test electrical systems.

Of the six conducting commercial flights, five belonged to Emirates, the world’s biggest operator of A380s, and one to China Southern Airlines.

It begs the question as to where the remaining 246 A380s produced by Airbus have gone. Will we ever see them again?

Air France has already decided its answer is “no”, announcing last May it would retire all nine A380s in its fleet rather than bother with costly cabin refurbishments.

Thai Airways is also expected to ground its six A380s permanently while Lufthansa has cut at least six A380s from its fleet, leaving eight in deep storage.

In January, Qatar Airways made the decision to halve its A380 fleet from ten to five, and Singapore Airlines could well follow.

The first airline to fly the world’s largest commercial aircraft has 19 A380s, including seven parked at Alice Springs.

Qantas believes the A380 still has a future in its fleet.

Their future is now the subject of a major review of Singapore Airline’s future fleet and network needs, following massive financial losses in the pandemic.

Other airlines, including Qantas, British Airways, Korean Air and Etihad Airways have publicly stated their superjumbo fleets will remain mothballed until demand returns.

Between them the four carriers account for 44 A380s, decked out with a range of special features from business lounge bars to Etihad’s signature three-room supersuites.

Despite the airline’s glamorous A380 fit-out, Etihad CEO Tony Douglas is among the most sceptical about the aircraft suggesting, it was handicapped by “two engines too many”.

Airbus A380 and A340 passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa stand parked at Teruel Airport in Spain. Picture: Getty Images

In Qantas’s case, CEO Alan Joyce has been more optimistic, insisting the A380s will be needed to operate to slot-restricted airports such as Heathrow and Los Angeles where it’s economically beneficial to use larger aircraft carrying more passengers.

The only Chinese operator of A380s, China Southern, has parked two of its five superjumbos, using the other three to fly between Guangzhou and Los Angeles, Tokyo and Sydney.

ANA has also grounded its two A380s and deferred delivery of a third which was due to arrive last April, while Malaysia Airlines’ six double decker aeroplanes sit sadly in a corner of Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

For South Korea’s Asiana Airlines, deep storage is not really an option due to the fact the carrier does not own an A380 simulator to help pilots maintain their certification for the aircraft.

To overcome the issue, a number of short A380 ghost flights have been operated by Asiana but no commercial services have been flown since the end of March 2020.

Not all airlines have put the A380 out to pasture however, with Emirates hopeful of having all 117 of its superjumbos back in operation by early 2022.

Emirates is one of the few airlines committed to operating A380s well into the future, with other carriers scratching the fuel-hungry, double deckers from their fleets. Picture: Supplied

The Dubai-based carrier currently has 13 in service, flying to ports including Amsterdam, London, Paris, Toronto and Sao Paulo, featuring the airline’s famous on-board shower suite in first class, and spacious bar in the upper deck business cabin.

With orders drying up, Airbus stopped production of the A380 last July, and will deliver the last aircraft to Emirates in May next year.

The airline has publicly stated its intention to operate A380s into the mid-2030s, despite growing pressure to transition to more fuel efficient models.