China Southern Ends A380 Flying

China Southern has flown its last passenger Airbus A380 flight as it retires the type from its fleet.

Like many airlines, China Southern saw a huge drop in demand during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially with China closing its borders to international tourism.

As a result its A380 aircraft were temporarily grounded.

Three of its five aircraft were brought back into use earlier in 2022, flying on schedules to Amsterdam Schiphol, Los Angeles International and Sydney from Guangzhou. However, the end was planned for the type.

Final China Southern A380 Flight

The final flight of China Southern’s Airbus A380 fleet came on 7 November when B-6139 departed Los Angeles for Guangzhou. The direction of travel meant it landed on 6 November.

The final A380 flight from Amsterdam had taken place on 4 November.

The three active A380s in China Southern’s fleet are currently sat at Guangzhou. They are B-6138, B-6139 and B-6140.

The two other examples, B-6136 and B-6137 are stored at Mohave, CA in the United States pending scrapping. It is likely the others will follow, with little demand on the second-hand market for such a huge airliner.

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