Airbus's superjumbo A380 is set to become the aircraft industry's first victim of the coronavirus.
Emirates is said to be considering retiring as many as 65 of the double-decker aircraft while Air France announced overnight it is phasing out its fleet early.Air France-KLM said Wednesday it will book a 500 million-euro writedown from the early phasing-out of its A380 fleet, while Emirates, the world's largest operator of the type, is said to be considering retiring as many as 65 of the double-decker aircraft.
Air France will switch to newer Airbus 350s and Boeing 787s, it said in a statement on Wednesday. It plans to record the expense in the second quarter. The airline said a move to make its fleet more competitive also prompted the phase-out, originally scheduled for the end of 2022. Five of the A380s in the fleet are owned by Air France or on finance lease, with a further four on an operating lease.
business sidyoutwit charlie_ryan1 But the A380 would be the best plane to implement coronavirus SocialDistancing rules. Commercially more damaging is debt: How the first phase of peak oil brought Virgin Australia into minus after 2008
Airbus announced long before the pandemic they would stop making A380's. Good aircraft. Exprensive to operate. Months ago airlines were sending them to the 'boneyards' of Arizona.
Cruise ships of the air . . . obese aircraft packed like sardines. . . good riddance!