Etihad A380 returns: On board airline's first superjumbo flight since Covid-19 pandemic

The world’s largest passenger plane is back in the air and flying exclusively between Abu Dhabi and London

Etihad Airways’ A380 superjumbos are finally back in the air, 40 months after the airline grounded the world's largest passenger plane due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Flight number EY11 departed Abu Dhabi International Airport a little after 2am on Tuesday morning, bound for Heathrow Airport, London. It landed in the UK capital just before 7am, local time.

The aircraft is the first double-decker A380 to operate a commercial flight for the national airline of the UAE since March 2020.

It marks the return of Abu Dhabi to London services on the popular Etihad superjumbo, which is the only route that the airline currently plans to operate via the double-decker jet.

"We're excited to once again welcome guests on board Etihad's A380s," said Antonoaldo Neves, chief executive of Etihad Airways.

"The aircraft adds much-needed capacity connecting Abu Dhabi with London Heathrow and allows us to build our network and increase frequencies across the network," he added.

On board the Etihad Airways A380 flight to London

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  The first of Etihad’s four Airbus A380s returns to the sky from Tuesday on the popular Abu Dhabi-London Heathrow route

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  Etihad recruited more than 400 people, including pilots, cabin crew, technicians and engineers, for the relaunch

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  The return is a global undertaking spanning storage facilities in Europe, hangars in China and maintenance checks in Abu Dhabi

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  The return of the four-engine superjumbos included about 70 days of detailed maintenance checks

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  Etihad mothballed the aircraft at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020

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  It joins airlines including Lufthansa, Qantas Airways, Korean Air Lines, Singapore Airlines and others in returning the plane to service

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  The A380s each have 486 seats

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  The return allows the airline to use its Boeing 787 jets elsewhere and increase flight frequencies

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  The airline in summer launched a flight to Lisbon for the first time. In the fourth quarter, it will start flights to Copenhagen and Osaka and also return to Dusseldorf

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  Etihad Airways' first A380 (registration A6-APG) will fly commercially on Tuesday and the second A380 (registration A6-API) will fly on August 1

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  Two more superjumbos will return on November 1

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  The airline's A380s were taken out of storage from facilities in France and Spain for heavy maintenance checks in Xiamen, China and in Abu Dhabi

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  Once it comes out of the hangar, engine runs are performed and checks are done on the in-flight entertainment systems, cabins, galley cooling and beverage makers

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  Some 54 pilots and 300 cabin crew were trained to operate the A380s

Travellers flying on Tuesday morning’s celebratory flight were given chocolates and A380-themed souvenirs to celebrate the jet’s return to service.

The flight, which was fully booked, took off on time and it was a smooth journey, with very little turbulence throughout. Passengers were served a Mission: Impossible-themed dinner and breakfast, as Etihad is the official partner airline for the Tom Cruise film franchise.

"We've been waiting for this A380 to come back for a long time. I can see the excitement between my colleagues, my team and I can see the excitement with the guests," said Mario Moretti, cabin manager on the flight.

A passenger favourite, Etihad’s superjumbos are loved for their service and luxury offerings, including The Residence – the only three-room apartment in the sky – and The Lobby, a service lounge and bar area for premium passengers.

Travellers on the Etihad Airways A380 were given special gifts. Photo: Janelle Meager / The National

With seating for 484 passengers, the A380 jet has three cabin classes including nine first-class apartments, 70 business studios and 337 economy smart seats, including 68 economy space seats.

Ultra-luxury travellers seeking privacy in the sky are also now able to book seats in Etihad’s The Residence on flights between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow, marking another first since the Covid-19 pandemic. Up to two passengers can fly in the luxury apartment, with access to a living room, separate bedroom and an en-suite shower. It's only bookable by purchasing a first class ticket, and then upgrading with rates starting from $2,500 per person, one-way.

The first double-decker jet to have returned to service will be joined by three sister A380 aircraft. The airline has three of four planned double-deckers back in Abu Dhabi, in preparation for the jet’s return to service. The fourth A380 is currently in China and will resume flying with the airline in November.

The return of the world's largest passenger plane

Etihad grounded its A380 jets in March 2020 after UAE authorities suspended all commercial air traffic for an initial period of two weeks to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 via air travel.

As global traffic for travel diminished during the pandemic, the airline's double-decker jets remained flightless until Tuesday.

Dubai-London is arguably Etihad’s most lucrative and popular route. Given the competition for available slots at London’s airports and the insatiable demand for travel in a post-pandemic world, the double-decker aircraft is ideally suited to operating on the route.

Other airlines have also resumed A380 flights, including Dubai’s Emirates, the A380’s largest customer, which now operates the superjumbo to 43 destinations around the world, including London, Morocco, Glasgow and New York.

Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, British Airways and All Nippon Airways are among some of the other global airlines that have relaunched superjumbo flights.

The beginning of the end for the A380?

Qantas has put its A380 superjumbos back in the air, but not for long. Photo: Qantas

The Covid-19 pandemic raised doubt over the future of the industry's Airbus superjumbos following a drop in travel demand and following the aircraft manufacturer's announcement of its final production of the passenger plane.

Now back in the air in several destinations around the world, the jet's return is unlikely to be a lengthy one.

Despite an ongoing $2 billion programme to retrofit more than 100 of its Airbus A380 jets and Boeing 777s, Emirates is planning the superjumbo’s exit. The Dubai airline’s president Tim Clark said last month that he expects to retire the airline’s superjumbo fleet in 2032.

“We are looking at plan that take us through the 2030s,” Clark told The National.

Qantas will also retire the jet over the next decade, as the Australian airline replaces the superjumbo with the A350, its flagship aircraft for Project Sunrise flights, which will operate the longest routes in the world.

Qatar Airways also has plans to retire the superjumbo once its new A350 jets are delivered. The Gulf carrier brought eight of its 10 double-deckers back into service following the grounding of the jets during the pandemic.