Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Almost all Airbus A380 operators in the world grounded their superjumbos due to the lack of demand for air travel except China Southern.
Hardly any Airbus A380 has flown in the recent past. Most operators of the double-decker giant have left their planes on the ground until further notice. But unlike the other carriers, China Southern relaunched scheduled flights to Los Angeles from Guangzhou with the giant airliner two weeks ago.
As of September 4, the airline has begun to fly to Europe as well. China Southern's four Airbus A380 out of five are now in service. They had been parked in Guangzhou since early February.
In the early morning hours of April 4, the A380 with registration B-6138 landed at Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam. It was the first landing of a China Southern A380 at Schiphol this year.
The Guangzhou - Amsterdam route is normally served by Boeing 787-9s. China Southern operated its Airbus A380s only between Beijing and Schiphol. But China Southern is currently allowed to offer the service from Guangzhou to Amsterdam once a week due to the restrictions imposed by the Chinese government.
The next rounds are scheduled for April 10 and 17. Arrival in Amsterdam is early in the morning, around 6.30 a.m. The return flight will depart at 1.35 p.m.