After considering it out of the question, Lufthansa completely revised its plans regarding the Airbus A380, the largest commercial aircraft in the world.
The German carrier had removed its 14 jets from operation amid the pandemic, but several factors made the company’s top management review the decision.
Initially, Lufthansa intended to reactivate some of the eight remaining A380s – six aircraft had already been resold to Airbus – but now Carsten Spohr, the airline’s chief executive, has confirmed that all widebodies will be returned to service as early as 2024.
Among the reasons given are the strong demand for long-haul flights and the delay in deliveries of the Boeing 777-9, an aircraft with large capacity and lower operating costs.
The US planemaker is trying to certify the 777X by 2025, to begin deliveries thereafter, however, few customers believe this will be possible.
Spohr acknowledged this week that the A380 will remain in Lufthansa’s fleet until the end of the decade. The airline also confirmed that it will expand the destinations to which it flies with the aircraft, from Boston and New York currently, to cities such as Washington, Los Angeles, Bangkok and Delhi.
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The outlook for the A380 has changed in such a way that Lufthansa confirmed another new feature, the retrofit of the aircraft’s business class, which should achieve a standard similar to that seen on jets such as the A350 and the Boeing 787.
