[AMcWhirter]

It’s no secret that former CEO Akbar Al Baker was no fan of the super jumbo.

Qatar Airways’ A380 fleet was retired during the pandemic, never to return.

But strong demand post-pandemic, combined with a capacity shortage, prompted the airline to reactivate its A380s.

Originally these reactivated A380s were expected to stay in the fleet for no more than a year or so.

But Qatar Airways now has a new CEO.

According to Aviation Week [paywall] these A380s will remain in the fleet until 2025 at least.

Much will depend on deliveries of the much delayed B777-9 series aircraft.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aircraft-propulsion/qatar-airways-set-keep-a380s-until-777-9-arrives

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Andrew, EU_Flyer, AlanOrton1

[alainboy56]

@AMcWhirter
Rather late in responding, but better late than never.
Purely from my point of view, this is good news. I regularly every couple of months use the A380 service DOH-LHR with QR and indeed will do so next week.
For pax, it’s a lovely aircraft especially on the Upper Deck, but I guess the former leader AAB was talking as a Businessman looking at the bottom line and for sure they (A380s) are expensive to run. Fairly sure the new Boss at QR will also be aware of the numbers, but at least they are operating them to LHR, BKK and Perth with high loads.
I guess its easier for EK as they have 99 airframes perhaps now a 100 in service and with their loads, they are getting good use out of them.

QR only bought 10 and like EY over the water in AD, when there was an excuse to phase them out they did so very quickly.
This was also done by AF, MH, TG and CS. Other airlines have reduced their fleets for use on the purely heavy loaded ones where they benefit this behemoth.
So, BA have I believe 10 out of 12 in service, QR 8 or the original 10; EY have now I believe 4 of their 10 on the fleet, LH brought back 8 of 12 I believe and QF, again perhaps 10 out of 12, (coincidentally they had 2 or 3 airframes stored at AUH, whereas EY fleet went to Teruel in Spain) SQ, I am not sure how many they have these days, but I do know they scrapped some early examples and one early model was re-leased to HiFly on charters. This airframe will now it seems, be sold/leased to Global Airways ( I’ll believe that airline when I see it).

I think with our Arab brothers, they need to keep the face and when you trying to compete against 7 x A380 flights daily from DXB to LHR for example, why would anyone choose a Dreamliner B789 flight with EY. At least QR were using A350-1000s and B773s for that route. So its purely a matter of keeping up with the Jones’s or perhaps the Mohammed’s. Again where do QF operate their A380s? And SQ? — its of course on the LHR route.

Unfortunately for the bean counters, the travelling public apparently love the A380 ……………….. as indeed they did, the Queen of the Skies, the iconic B747 jumbo.

[AMcWhirter]

Thanks for the detailed comments alainboy56.

Yes the former boss of QR, in an interview filmed during the pandemic when QR’s A380s were stored, cited the high maintenance costs.

The CEO appears on this Sam Chui YouTube clip. Some of you may already have seen it but for those who have not I show it once more.

[stevescoots]

Always like the 380 and would miss it when gone. have flown the big bird on QR/EK and BA. certainly QR’s is the best but EK come close just a bit too blingy. BA with its older club world seats does not do the 380 justice

[Author]

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