Summary
- While the Airbus A380 flew to 64 airports in winter 2019, it has reduced to 56 this coming season.
- Comparing the two periods shows that six airports have joined the list, but 14 have been lost.
- Ten ended by early 2020, while four returned – but are not served this winter.
The Airbus A380 will fly to 56 airports worldwide this fast-approaching aviation northern cold season (October 29th-March 30th). However, it is down from 64 in 2019, just before the world temporarily changed.
While Amman, Bengaluru, Chicago O’Hare, Denpasar Bali, Glasgow, and Istanbul Airport did not see the double-decker then, they do now, albeit temporarily in O’Hare’s case. But 14 airports won’t see it this winter.
No A380 flights to these airports
The 14 airports referred to above all saw the double-decker in winter 2019 but will not do so in the coming season. But there is a big difference between them. Some 10 of them ended in late 2019 or early 2020, and the A380 has not returned since and is not scheduled to do so next summer.
Photo: Bradley Caslin/Shutterstock
Stay aware: Sign up for my weekly new routes newsletter.
In some instances, like Abidjan and Mexico City, this is because the operating airline (Air France) retired the type. However, in most cases, the incumbent user simply switched equipment and has not expressed interest publicly in using the A380 to those specific destinations again.
|
Airport |
Regular A380 flights* |
Airline(s) |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Abidjan |
Oct 2014-Dec 2019 |
Air France from Paris CDG |
Air France has retired the type |
|
Barcelona |
Feb 2014-Mar 2020 |
Emirates from Dubai |
|
|
Copenhagen |
Dec 2015-Mar 2020 |
Emirates from Dubai |
|
|
Medina |
Nov 2016-Mar 2020 |
Emirates from Dubai |
|
|
Mexico City |
Jan 2016-Mar 2020 |
Air France from Paris CDG |
Air France has retired the type |
|
Muscat |
Jul 2019-Feb 2020 |
Emirates from Dubai |
|
|
Osaka |
Last regular flights in Mar 2020 (see comments) |
See comments |
Thai Airways from Bangkok (carrier retired the type); Emirates from Dubai; Singapore Airlines from guess where; Asiana from Seoul |
|
Prague |
May 2016-Mar 2020 |
Emirates from Dubai |
|
|
Riyadh |
Apr 2019-Mar 2020 |
Emirates from Dubai |
|
|
Shenzhen |
May 2014-Jun 2015, Oct 2019-Feb 2020 |
China Southern from Beijing Capital |
China Southern has retired the type |
|
* One-offs, etc., excluded |
But, these have had the A380 since 2020
In the four remaining cases, the A380 has returned to the airport since the pandemic’s start, as summarized below. However, none of them will see the type this winter, although they did in 2019.
Photo: Kamilpetran/Shutterstock
More significantly, only Boston is presently expected to welcome it next summer. British Airways will resume its daily seasonal A380 service on March 31st, 2024, the first day of the northern summer season. It is the same day that Lufthansa – which first used the double-decker to the airport in June 2023 – will return.
|
Airport |
A380 flights this winter? |
Comments |
Next summer?* |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Boston |
No |
Had Emirates Jun 2019-Jan 2020; BA summer seasonally Mar 2017-Oct 2019, returned May 2022; Lufthansa summer seasonally from Munich from Jun 2023 |
BA, Lufthansa |
|
Hamburg |
No |
Emirates Oct 2018-Mar 2020, returned Oct 2021-Oct 2022 |
No |
|
Nice |
No |
Emirates Jul-2017-Mar 2020; returned Jun 2023 |
No |
|
Vienna |
No |
Emirates May 2016-Mar 2020; returned Mar 2021-Jul 2022 |
No |
|
* Planned as of Oct 6th |
What do you make of it all? Let us know in the comments.
Sources: OAG, Cirium, Flightradar24.com, Google Flights