Lufthansa was surprised by the rapid return of demand for long-distance air travel. Because of this, its CEO, Carsten Spohr, had to review the claim that the A380 jets were passed on in the company.
In May, the chief executive admitted that the massive two-deck plane could return to service, although that would still be just a remote chance.
However, according to Aero.de, the possibility is very likely and could happen soon. Lufthansa has 14 A380s in storage, but six of them will be returned to Airbus in October as part of a long-term deal.
The remaining eight four-engine aircraft could be partially or fully reactivated, the outlet argues. According to sources, the carrier could put four A380s into service, with one of them as a reserve, or even use six aircraft, keeping the remaining two as backup.
Boeing 777-300ER ‘whitetail’
The return of the A380 is not the only alternative on the table of Lufthansa’s board of directors. There is a second solution being studied, thanks to the goodwill of Boeing, which is trying to mitigate the damage caused by the delay in the delivery of the 777X and the 787-9.
Also according to Aero.de, the US manufacturer would have offered four to six “whitetail” 777-300ERs, produced aircraft, but which are without customers after the cancellation of orders.
Although Lufthansa has never operated the 777 configured to carry passengers, the company has a fleet of 777F freighters in addition to its Austrian and Swiss subsidiaries having the Boeing widebody in their fleets.
When questioned, Lufthansa said there were no changes in relation to Spohr’s statements.
