A380 mega-jumbo loses favour among airlines in era of change

The world’s biggest passenger aircraft is facing an uncertain future as questions swirl about flight in a changed world.

A new Airbus A380 double-deck aircraft at Sydney Airport in 2006. Picture: Craig Wilson

The Airbus A380, with four engines and seats for 500 passengers, was hailed as the “queen of the skies” on its maiden flight 15 years ago.

The world’s biggest passenger aircraft is facing an uncertain future, however, as questions swirl about the future of flight in a changed world.

Qantas has insisted that its flying giants would return to long-haul routes after the pandemic.

But British Airways has sent several of its gas-guzzling giants to an airport in central France for storage, and other European airlines have permanently retired their jets.

The aircraft were flown to Chateauroux for at least six months’ stay as the airline rides out the storm. The former US airbase also serves, however, as a graveyard where aircraft are broken up.

British Airways said on Friday that there was “no truth in the rumour that our A380s will be retired from service”.

There is little doubt, however, that the coronavirus pandemic will speed the demise of an aircraft that took off from Airbus’s Toulouse home on January 18, 2005. Hailed as the future of aviation, the mega-jumbo may be remembered as a vanity project that fizzled out.

The A380, a favourite with passengers and many pilots, was already heading for the exit after orders dried up and Airbus decided last year to wind down production, admitting that poor sales had failed to cover the $US20 billion (about $31bn) cost of the 20-year-old project.

The pandemic has grounded almost the entire world fleet of about 240 A380s. Airlines wonder whether there will ever again be a need for a fuel-hungry behemoth that is profitable only when nearly full of passengers.

Lufthansa has permanently retired six of its 14 A380s along with a clutch of other large airliners as part of its plan to survive the crisis.

“The environmental as well as economic disadvantages of these aircraft types” must be taken into consideration, the German flag carrier said, adding that it would be “years until the worldwide demand for air travel returns to pre-crisis levels”.

Two of Singapore Airlines A380s were dismantled before the spread of coronavirus. Air France sent its first A380 to be dismantled at Knock, in Ireland, in February.

Emirates, which backed the A380 with a fleet of 115, is reported to be trying to delay delivery of its final eight on order.

It is clear that Airbus lost when it gambled on a need for bigger airliners to follow Boeing’s 747 jumbo. Boeing backed a future of smaller aircraft flying shorter routes.

Fate delivered two blows to the supersize concept with the terrorist attacks in America on September 11, 2001, and the 2008 financial crisis.

The A380 was pushed towards the exit with the advent of smaller, fuel-efficient twin-engined jets from Boeing and Airbus. Rob Morris, of the Ascend by Cirium consultants, said: “In essence, if Airbus bet on consolidation and Boeing on fragmentation, Boeing won.”

The A380 seems likely to be survived in service by the Boeing 747, which first flew in 1969.

Some A380s will soldier on. BA still has an advantage in using the A380 at Heathrow because the lack of flight “slots” gives an advantage to aircraft that carry many passengers.

A prolonged crisis, however, is likely to prompt airlines to scrap the A380s in storage. There is hardly any market for used A380s and keeping them idle but in maintenance is costly. Each week the parked planes must be moved to avoid flat spots in their 22 tyres.

The Times