AIR FRANCE TO WITHDRAW AIRBUS A380 PERMANENTLY WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT
AirFrance announced this afternoon (Wednesday) that it is withdrawing all of its A380’s from service permanently from today.
Having decided nealry a year ago not to spend the almost $US75m it would have taken to refurbish the aircraft interiors (they’re as delivered), the ailrine then said it would remove half of them on lease by 2022 and then the rest as appropriate, but likely by 2028.
Following the Covid19 pandemic, and the long road ahead to return to 2019 flight levels, the airline has decided to remove them immediately, making the largest aircraft in the airlines fleet its 773ER’s.
The aircraft are for the most part barely ten to eleven years old with the youngest just six.
Its an extremely sad day for aviation enthusiasts and must be deeply disheartening for those who spent millions of man hours assembling these huge aircraft, which should really have lasted at least thirty years.
10 years old Air France Airbus A380 made its final flight
Knock, Ireland - Former Air France Airbus A380 registered F-HPJB is carried out its final flight to Knock, Ireland today (Feb 20), where it will be scrapped.
This aircraft, which was leased from the Dr. Peters Group, was returned to the lessor last month.
The superjumbo flew from Paris CDG to Dresden, Germany on January 2nd and arrived in Knock, Ireland today, where it will be dismantled for second-hand spare part market.
Irish company EirTrade Aviation is capable of The scrapping operation will be performed by Irish Aerospace company EirTrade Aviation.
The F-HPJB was delivered to Air France in February 2010. The next Airbus A380 to leave the fleet will be F-HPJD in a few months.
