[capetonianm]

Lufthansa has sent its seventh Airbus A380 to Teruel, a Spanish aircraft graveyard. Today’s ferry flight means that half of the German flag carrier’s fleet is now in long-term storage. Some won’t fly for Lufthansa again.

Lufthansa Sends 7th Airbus A380 To Spanish Aircraft Graveyard

[canucklad]

Very sad, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere , possibly short sighted by the 380 carriers
If this much vaunted vaccine proves to be more elusive , remembering that they never cracked a SARS’s vaccine and social distancing becomes almost mandatory , and more likely become a customer expectation , than those airlines that can offer better spaced reconfigured cabins will have a USP over the 10 across 777 cattle traders !
especially on high volume routes —You’d like to think that the clever chaps at BA have figured this out as a possible marketing advantage on the LHR _JFK route ?

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[Johnnyg]

BREAKING NEWS ON AIRLIVE

Emirates could permanently decommission 46 Airbus A380s – sources

Emirates to permanently decommission 40% of its Airbus A380 fleet.
Emirates is said to be drawing up plans to permanently decommission 40 per cent of its Airbus A380 superjumbo fleet.

The airline is by far the world’s largest operator of the superjumbo and still awaiting for several deliveries.

Emirates grounded its A380 fleet on March 25 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A final decision likely to be officially announced within days according to several sources said to be familiar with the matter.

I am assuming they are the older aircraft as they , as previously stated, have a quite a few on order and to be delivered.

[cwoodward]

Singapore airlines have stored the majority of their A380s at a newish facility at Alice Springs in the red center of Australia.
The facility is rapidly becoming popular with Asian airlines as it is cheaper and more convenient than storage facilities in the USA.

[cwoodward]

A little thread drift in the attached but interesting none the less.
So very few 380s flying at present as compared to other older wide bodies.
Name: Wide.jpg Size: 15 kb, Extension: JPG

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simeoncox

[esselle]

[postquote quote=998957][/postquote]

What is the source of this data? It suggests MD11 and 757 are wide bodies, which of course they aren’t.

[Swissdiver]

[postquote quote=998969][/postquote]

MD11 is, but obviously not the B757.

[esselle]

[postquote quote=998971][/postquote]

Thanks for the correction; I was thinking MD80 for some reason.

[cwoodward]

Both the aircraft types mentioned are/were originally classed by their makers as ‘wide bodied’.
This classification is still accepted in some aviation circles it seems.
Yes it is confusing.
I am not aware of the original source of the graph as it was sent to me by a commercial pilot pal- so probably part of an article from the sort of technical magazine that they read.
Many of the flights logged would have been freighters or passenger aircraft being used as freighters.
More drift.
Cathay is running up to 12 flights a day to AU from HK (plus pure freighters) almost all of which must be carrying mostly perishable freight. They have access to some very clever gear developed recently by their sister company HACO for carrying freight across seats and on the floor areas of the aircraft passenger cabin.

[capetonianm]

I always understood that officially the difference between N and W was single aisle/multiple aisles, although I’m not aware of any commercial aircraft configured with more than two aisles.

[Swissdiver]

[postquote quote=998979][/postquote]

The Concorde being the beautiful exception… Single aisle but LH.

Over two aisles? Flying Cats in Greece. Not sure they would qualify though…

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cwoodward

[MartynSinclair]

It will be interesting whether LH Technik are successful with their current project to create a temporary passenger to freight conversion for the A380. Airbus themselves, failed to deliver any of their A380 freighter orders.

[canucklad]

[quote quote=998981]The Concorde being the beautiful exception… Single aisle but LH.[/quote]

Might there not be a confusion between aircraft classified as “Heavy” and those that are not, predominantly narrow bodies ?
Concorde, if I’m not mistaken is classified as “heavy” due its wake>

[Poshgirl58]

757 classed as Heavy due to wake turbulence, although below maximum take off weight of heavies such as B787/A350/DC10. Found this out earlier when writing blog about call signs!

A380 and An-225 classed as Super.

[MarcusGB]

I had flown Etihad’s A380 for some years in Business and First Suites down to Australia, it “WAS” one of the best experiences with terrific room, space, showers in First, and a nice private bar and seating areas.
More space for food to be prepared in a mini kitchen with a dedicated chef, which other Aircraft do not allow much space for.
Also SQ, And just some months ago Thai First Class on the A380.
I certainly have had no poor experiences on them, and for everyone, the feeling of “A place to go, walk, space” will disappear now.
With the 747, our 2 floor aircraft will be no more, just a couple of corridors one way or the other on one floor, form hundreds.

I accept the economies of the A380 failing, and now we have one of the most damaging periods in Aviation history, but i am saddened as it will disappear.
With the current Re-Invention of Flying being considered now, it seems to me, the best distancing measures would be on a larger aircraft.
I would, and did feel far more comfortable some few months back, when this CV-19 Pandemic was breaking, with the Social distancing on the A380.

I cannot think of a better aircraft, certainly at this time, even though the economics would not make sense, feel safer or more social distancing.

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