The superjumbo that took decades to build

Airbus announced the A380 project in nineteen ninety, but the double-decker jet didn't enter service until two thousand and seven. With a two hundred sixty-two foot wingspan, it's the world's largest passenger jet.

Why airlines stopped wanting the A380

Many airlines preferred point-to-point routes over the hub model the A380 was designed for. Twin-jet aircraft like the Boeing seven seventy-seven and Airbus A three fifty offered more flexibility and lower operating costs.

COVID-19 dealt a heavy blow

The pandemic prompted airlines to rethink strategies amid cost pressures. Air France and Malaysia Airlines retired all their A380s. Airbus built the last new A380 in two thousand and twenty-one.

Airlines fell back in love with the jet

When lockdowns lifted, many airlines rediscovered the superjumbo's appeal. Lufthansa brought back eight of its fourteen A380s since two thousand and twenty-two. Etihad Airways reactivated six jets.

Qantas restarts long-haul A380 service

Qantas restarted A380 flights between Sydney and Dallas slash Fort Worth last August, the first time since the pandemic. A year later, the Australian flag carrier said it was bringing forward retirement of the planes to two thousand and twenty-eight.

The A380 still has life left

In two thousand and seventeen, there were more than ten thousand A380 flights a month. That fell to seven thousand five hundred for November, but the superjumbo continues to operate across multiple airlines worldwide.

“there is still some life left in the superjumbo”