Status: 06/28/2022 10:00 a.m
The Lufthansa Group has enjoyed high demand for air travel for months. In order to increase capacity, the giant aircraft Airbus A380, which was actually decommissioned, will be put back into service – but not until 2023.
Deutsche Lufthansa intends to put the decommissioned Airbus A380 wide-body aircraft back into service in the summer of 2023. The company announced this last night. Lufthansa is still checking how many of its eight available machines should take off again.
The airline is thus taking a strategic U-turn similar to that of other airlines. Last week, the Arab airline Emirates, the company with the largest A380 fleet, announced the return of the wide-body aircraft in large numbers. The European competitor British Airways is again relying on the machines, which can carry up to around 800 passengers on their two levels. The British want to put their entire A380 fleet of five machines back into service.
Due to the significant increase in customer demand for air travel, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, ANA from Japan and the Korean Asiana Airlines now want to use the A380 again. Since there are not as many weekly frequencies on long-haul routes as before the pandemic, the A380 is easier to fill.
Lufthansa machines are in Spain and France
Lufthansa once had 14 A380s in service. Six of them have already been sold back to the manufacturer Airbus following a decision in 2019. The unused machines have been on the ground at Lufthansa at locations in Spain and France since the Corona crisis.
In addition to the high demand for flights, Lufthansa also cites delivery problems with Boeing’s newly ordered long-haul aircraft, the 777-9, as the reason for the comeback of the A380. The company had already decided before the Corona crisis to sell some jumbos (Boeing 747) because they are considered unprofitable with their four engines and high kerosene consumption. The A380s were originally intended to be completely mothballed.
Pilots need to be trained
Due to the dwindling demand for the A380, the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus decided three years ago to stop building the world’s largest passenger aircraft in 2021. Airbus originally wanted to produce 1000 machines. Ultimately, however, there were only 242, as more efficient aircraft with only two engines prevailed on long-haul routes. Around 100 are currently taking off worldwide.
Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr cannot use the A380 machines in the short term, there are only 14 pilots with the appropriate flight license, he explained. “In the summer of 2023, we not only expect a much more reliable air traffic system around the world, but will also be able to welcome you back on board our Airbus A380,” says Spohr.