In June 1994, Airbus began developing its own super-large aircraft.
Airbus wants to completely surpass Boeing with a super-large aircraft.
On December 19, 2000, Airbus was designated A380.
The A380 was born.
The maximum take-off weight of the A380 is 575 tons.
The cabin area is 478 square meters, which is 40% more than the Boeing 747-8.
It can carry up to 555 passengers in a three-class configuration.
When the highest density seating arrangement is adopted, it can carry 893 passengers.
It can be described as a miracle in the history of civil aviation.
The A380 became the largest commercial airliner ever built, breaking the record for the world's most passenger passenger carrier for nearly 37 years when the Boeing 747 dominated the world.
The A380 aircraft made its maiden flight in 2005 and began commercial flights in 2007, and has been well received by passengers for its spacious space, better ventilation and many entertainment facilities.
In particular, it has become the standard configuration of the local tyrant airline Emirates, and its luxurious first-class facilities are jaw-dropping.
However, the A380 encountered many challenges in the market operation, such as cost, the airport is not easy to adapt, etc., the key is that it cannot bring profits to the airline, and there are no airline orders, and finally Airbus has to stop production.
The A380 is a true icon of modern air travel and the largest commercial airliner in the world due to its huge size and staggering maximum passenger capacity.
In 2019, Airbus announced the production of the A380.
This was followed by a three-year pandemic shock, which significantly reduced the demand for travel in the market, during which many airlines stopped the operation of the A380.
What is particularly concerned is that China Southern Airlines, the only A380 operator in China, has decided to withdraw from A380, which makes many flyers feel a little sad.
In November 2022, China Southern Airlines' A380 passenger aircraft completed its last commercial flight, announcing the end of the domestic A380 era.
The average age of the A380 is only 10 years, which is the prime of life for an aircraft.
But China Southern Airlines still chose to retire the A380!
I am afraid that only China Southern Airlines, which has used the A380, can experience it.
In Brother Yi's view, there are three main problems.
First, the operating costs are too high.
It is also an indisputable fact that the operating costs of the A380 with four engines are very high, and how to achieve profitability is a huge challenge for airlines.
Second, there is no scale effect.
China Southern Airlines has only 5 A380s, which are very difficult to maintain, support and operate, and it is difficult to form a scale effect.
Once an aircraft fails, it is difficult for support to keep up.
Third, there is no suitable route.
The A380 is used to fly long-haul international routes, and it must have sufficient passenger capacity to adapt to it, and China Southern Airlines' Guangzhou hub is far from meeting the needs of aircraft such as the A380.
The long-awaited international route to Beijing is difficult to obtain.
5 A380s are like chicken ribs, and retirement is a matter of time.
In this regard, Han Wensheng, general manager of China Southern Airlines, said:
In the next two to three years, the demand for wide-body aircraft in the international market will be insufficient, so China Southern Airlines has also made adjustments to its overall strategy and appropriately reduced the number of wide-body aircraft fleet.
Airbus has now discontinued the A380, causing its market value to fall rapidly, and we need to choose a suitable time to (to exit). The A380 is almost in its 12th year of operation, and according to the law of a major overhaul in 6 years, a huge amount of money needs to be invested in maintenance in the 12th year.
Under the overall assessment, it is more beneficial to the overall operation to withdraw now.
Looking back now, Brother Yi thinks:
China Southern Airlines' disposal of the A380 is absolutely correct!
However, due to the different market performance, the current A380 has made a comeback in some countries and some airlines.
The first is the resumption of Lufthansa operations with eight A380 aircraft.
With the rapid recovery of the European aviation market, aircraft capacity has been less than the growth in demand.
Lufthansa, the largest European airline group in Europe, has started the resumption of operations of the A380 and has carried out a number of intercontinental routes to Asia and North America.
To date, Lufthansa has resumed operation on five A380s with registration numbers:
D-AIMH
D-AIMK
D-AIML
D-AIMM
D-AIMN
Lufthansa plans to reactivate all eight A380s by mid-2025.
Second, all 12 Singapore Airlines A380s have resumed operation.
Singapore Airlines has a total of 12 A380s, all of which are now in operation.
SIA's A380 aircraft have been put into use on some routes with strong market demand, such as:
Singapore - Auckland
Singapore-Mumbai
Singapore-Hong Kong
Singapore-Delhi
Singapore-London
Singapore-Melbourne
Singapore-Tokyo
Singapore-Sydney
In terms of market performance, Singapore Airlines has achieved the best operating performance in its history, and the return of the A380 has also made a significant contribution.
In addition, Etihad Airways, Qantas, British Airways, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have all resumed A380 operations.
Some people criticized China Southern Airlines for misjudging the situation.
In this regard, Brother Yi can only say, you don't understand the civil aviation industry!