While the COVID-19 pandemic had a vast impact on Airbus A380 flights worldwide, it seems as though airlines are falling back in love with the aircraft. December will be the first month since the height of the crisis, with more than 3,000 A380 flights scheduled. While Emirates is behind the bulk of flights, other carriers will also resume long-haul A380 flights in December.
Last week was a great week for fans of the Airbus A380. Not only did British Airways reveal that the giant of the skies was making a comeback, but Qatar Airways also added the giant back to its flight schedule, despite previously telling Simple Flying that buying the aircraft was the airline’s biggest mistake.
3,096 flights planned in December
According to schedule information from aviation data experts Cirium, over 3,000 Airbus A380 flights are scheduled during December, making the first time that this milestone has been reached since the height of the pandemic. Last December, Emirates alone operated just 565 flights with the giant of the skies.
While Emirates will still account for most Airbus A380 flights this December, it will be the first time that the airline hasn’t accounted for basically all flights since the type returned to the skies in July 2020. With 2,693 flights planned, Emirates should operate 87% of December’s A380 flights.
British Airways
British Airways is bringing the Airbus A380 back to the skies in November, with flights expected to Frankfurt and Madrid for crew training. Currently, the schedules for these short-haul flights aren’t known and thus aren’t reflected in the data. However, in December, the airline is bringing the giant of the skies back to long-haul flights, something it is keen to make a big song and dance about.