Etihad Returns A380 to Service

Etihad Airways has become the latest airline to reintroduce the Airbus A380 into service following an extended period of grounding following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The airline has ten of the giant aircraft in its fleet and has plans to reintroduce four of them initially. The fate of the remaining six is not yet certain.

First Flight

Our big bird has made its awaited return to the skies and has touched down in London! The celebrated A380 is now flying from Abu Dhabi to London daily – book your flight by visiting https://t.co/O3g5JPrITd pic.twitter.com/l8qqzHpQng

— Etihad Airways (@etihad) July 25, 2023

The first flight of the revived aircraft operated between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow on 25 July.

The aircraft used was A6-APG, which operated EY11/12 and was on of the most followed flights on FlightRadar24.

Additional aircraft all undergoing heavy maintenance prior to rejoining the active fleet include A6-APH, A6-API and A6-APJ. The aircraft have been in storage in Tarbes-Lourdes, France, and Teruel, Spain.

Future Plans

Etihad’s A380s were once among the most luxurious in the skies thanks to the dedicated Residence cabin which could command a minimum of $10,000 per flight.

At present, Etihad has only announced plans to use the A380s on its key London Heathrow service. However, with four active examples further high demand destinations could be added.

Airbus A380 Routes List

AirportSpotting.com maintains a current list of all Airbus A380 scheduled routes flown by the world’s airlines. If you want to fly on the A380, this is a great way to plan your trip.

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