# The A380 gets a second life in the sky

> The world's largest passenger jet is flying again after airlines rediscovered its appeal post-pandemic.
- Title: The A380 gets a second life in the sky · Business Insider
- Summary: The world's largest passenger jet is flying again after airlines rediscovered its appeal post-pandemic. The Airbus A380 superjumbo jet, nearly retired during…
- Keywords: airbus a380, commercial aviation, airlines, aircraft, post-pandemic recovery, lufthansa, emirates, qantas, etihad airways, business, technology, A380
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/airbus-a380-routes-destinations-airlines-2026-9
- Author: Pete Syme
- Published: 2026-09-20T09:29:39.653+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: airbus a380, commercial aviation, airlines, aircraft, post-pandemic recovery, lufthansa, emirates, qantas, etihad airways, business, technology
## 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
## Key takeaway

The Airbus A380 superjumbo jet, nearly retired during COVID-19, is back in service as airlines restore routes and passengers return to flying.