Airbus Updates No.3529

 British Airways Removes A380 From Schedule Until Late March 2022

In its latest schedule changes, British Airways has removed the Airbus A380 from its schedule until late March 2022. The shift ties in with the launch of the IATA summer season on March 26th but could be subject to further changes due to the evolving nature of the current situation.

British Airways has removed the Airbus A380 from its schedule through March 2022. Photo: Airbus

British Airways’ CEO, Sean Doyle, has been reasonably clear that he expects the giant of the skies to return to his airline’s fleet. The question is more one of when rather than if. Unlike Emirates, the British flag carrier is holding off returning the type to service for the time being.

Out of the schedule in winter 2021/22

Last week the Airbus A380 was on the British Airways schedule as soon as October 2021. However, each week airlines update their schedules. This week, according to schedule data from aviation data experts Cirium, the British flag carrier has removed its Airbus A380 aircraft until March 2022.

The earliest flights are currently scheduled for March 27th, with the aircraft scheduled to fly to Dubai, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Miami, San Fransisco, and Singapore. All flights are planned as daily apart from Dubai.

Commenting on the removal, a British Airways spokesperson told Simple Flying,

“We keep our global network under constant review.”

The old schedule had seen British Airways planning to increase its A380 schedule from roughly 90 rotations a month from November to March to around 170 a month From April to July. While the A380 has been removed from the schedules from October to late March, it remains at previously planned levels from April onwards.

Of course, late-march is over half a year away, and it is entirely possible that BA’s plans could change in the meantime. This could see the A380 returning sooner if major international routes reopen, prompting a considerable demand. Equally, the airline could further push the aircraft’s return back in the event of further negative changes as the pandemic develops.

Committed to the type

We know that British Airways plans to bring the Airbus A380 back to service. We just don’t know when. One of the main issues is with long-haul travel restrictions. From the list of planned destinations, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco currently do not accept UK travelers. Meanwhile, it is not possible to travel to Singapore without quarantining.

The airline’s planned A380 network, when the type returns, remains unchanged. Photo: Cirium

That only leaves Dubai, home of A380 giant, Emirates. It doesn’t seem worth it for British Airways to bring the aircraft back for just one route. Although, it will likely end up flying the aircraft for years to come. Simple Flying recently reported that the airline had extended its A380 maintenance agreement for all 12 jets until at least 2027.