After the pandemic, the global aviation market has recovered rapidly, and the demand for ultra-large aircraft by airlines is still there. Typical examples such as Emirates are A380 and 777 wide-body aircraft worldwide, and say they want more A380 aircraft.
For aviation enthusiasts, it is undoubtedly a sad story that the "Super Jumbo" A380 aircraft was announced to be discontinued on Valentine's Day 2019. This aircraft has become a kind of "spiritual symbol", representing the highest level of the global aviation industry! But now, they have ushered in good news, the head of Airbus's civil aircraft division recently said that Airbus has not completely ruled out the possibility of resuming production of A380 aircraft. However, this is less likely to happen.
Despite the challenges of resuming production, the A380 is undoubtedly an outstanding aircraft, with 251 delivered to date, making a significant impact on the global aviation industry. Launched in 2005 at a ceremony in Toulouse, France, the A380 made its maiden flight in April 2005 and received certification from regulators in December 2006.
Production of the A380 aircraft has now ended, with the last aircraft delivered to Emirates in December 2021. During the pandemic, the aircraft was retired in large numbers and operational challenges led to the belief that the Airbus A380 would not return, and China Southern Airlines retired all five of its A380s during the pandemic. However, with the rapid rebound in air passenger traffic after the pandemic, some airlines have expressed demand for high-capacity aircraft. For example, both Lufthansa and Etihad Airways have relaunched the A380 aircraft.
另一方面，阿联酋航空作为该机型最大的运营商，一直对潜在的新版本A380neo抱有希望。 空客民机部门CEO谢勒讨论重新开始生产世界上最大客机的可能性时，表示：“门是关着的，但并没有上锁。 在工业界，任何事情都不排除。 ”（The door is closed, but it is not locked. In industry, nothing is ever ruled out.）
Scherer also noted that the current market demand for twin-engine aircraft is very strong. Therefore, a comeback of the four-engine A380 aircraft is very unlikely. To date, 10 airlines operate 145 A380 aircraft.
The main problems for airlines are the high capacity of the Airbus A380, its limited route suitability, and its high fuel consumption. Another challenge is the limited pre-owned market for the A380, mainly due to its age and the special design requirements of the airport. Large flagship airlines prefer new aircraft and are concerned about aircraft that are more than 10 years old. They plan to replace the old ones with new ones, which raises a new question: what to do with the aging A380 aircraft?
Global Airlines, the UK's new airline, plans to travel entirely on pre-owned Airbus A380 aircraft. The move shows that some airlines still have confidence in the Airbus A380. Global Airlines initially planned to start its Airbus A380 flights in the spring or summer of 2024. However, the airline has now scheduled its maiden flight for 2025.
Despite the great difficulties in resuming production of the A380 aircraft, it is not impossible, and this is exciting news! Looking forward to the A380 being able to "return the king"!