The A380, which was dropped during the pandemic by all but one of its users, is having a surprising, if likely temporary comeback for a couple of reasons, including long delays in the arrival of Boeing’s 777x line, which many carriers see as a successor.
Another factor has been a stronger-than-expected revival of business travel and premium demand. High sales at the front of the plane help overcome the high operating cost of the heavy four-engine plane, at least for now.
Lufthansa, Qatar, Korean Air ANA and Etihad have all returned the plane to service, and Emirates, which bought half the entire number ever built is spending serious money updating cabins and making the plane even more deluxe.
Part of the decision for all the airlines has been the several-years delay of the 777x, a fuel-efficient two-engine plane that can seat up to 450 seats. In a world where direct flights have gained advantage over hub-and-spoke flying, it might be the biggest plane that most operators need.
It’s enough that some Airbus officials have even hinted at a chance for an updated model. Christian Scherer, the head of Airbus’s civil aircraft division, recently told press that that while the door to the A380 production line “is closed, it is not locked. In industry, nothing is ever ruled out.”
