In an era marked by the rapid evolution of aviation technology and a growing emphasis on fuel efficiency, the Airbus A380 stands out as a symbol of aviation’s ambitious past. Once hailed as the pinnacle of luxury air travel, the superjumbo faced challenges that led many airlines to phase it out of their fleets.

However, a handful of carriers have chosen a different path, opting to defy industry trends and continue operating the iconic A380. From the luxurious in-flight experiences offered by these carriers to the strategic decisions guiding their operations.

1.ANA: A Japanese airline is called ANA. Additionally, it will unveil the third of its specially modified “FLYING HONU” Airbus A380s, which will fly just on the Tokyo-Narita-Honolulu route. Three of ANA’s Airbus A380s are currently in service, while none of its A380s are parked. With the third A380, which has an orange livery modeled after Hawaiian Airlines, entering service, two of the three A380s have already commenced flight operations.

2. Asiana Airlines: It is a South Korean airline with its headquarters in Seoul. Three of the six Airbus A380s that were formerly part of Asiana Airlines’ fleet are currently flown by the Korean airline. It has announced that from mid-January 2023 plans to resume Seoul Gimpo – Osaka Kansai route. Three A380s are now parked in its fleet and will be retired by 2026.

3. British Airways: There are 12 A380s in the British Airways fleet. 11 A380 aircraft are now in service, while one A380 is parked in its fleet. British Airways A380 operates exclusively from London Heathrow Terminal 5. It is currently operating selected flights to Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Fort / Worth, Miami, San Francisco, Vancouver and Washington Dulles.

4. Etihad Airways: It is one of the United Arab Emirates’ two national airlines. Etihad Airways’ fleet consists of ten Airbus A380 aircraft. Four Airbus A380s will be placed back into service, according to plans. It has announced plans to put four Airbus A380s back into service. The intent is for the planes to fly exclusively between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and London (LHR). The first A380 should be flying to London as of July 15, 2023, and it’s expected that by October 2023. The A380s’ return has been officially announced by Etihad Airways.

5. Emirates: Emirates is the main user of the Airbus A380. The Dubai-based airline announced its intention to operate over 90 A380s by the end of the year earlier in July. 33 superjumbos were parked in its fleet, while 86 have already been put into service. After years of operating at a reduced capacity due to the coronavirus epidemic, Emirates plans to refill its fleet by bringing back all of its Airbus A380 double-deckers by December 2023. As it ramps up operations to accommodate the high demand for air travel, It is the largest operator of the Airbus A380 in the world, and expects to put its whole fleet of superjumbos back in service by 2023.

6. Korean air: Korean Air has been operating half of its A380 aircraft, much like Asiana. During the pandemic, the entire fleet of Five A380 aircraft was grounded. A weekly trip to Guangzhou, China, marked the return of the first Korean Air A380 to the skies. It also stated that it intended to resume Airbus A380 service on the Seoul Incheon to Taipei Taoyuan route in February or March 2023.

7. Lufthansa: Lufthansa has confirmed that the Airbus A380 will return to operation in the summer of 2023, a reprieve for its superjumbos, which had been sent into deep storage. Due to the customer demand and quicker recovery of international travel after the pandemic. During the Pandemic, it had a fleet of 14 Airbus A380s, with 8 Airbus A380 grounded.

8. Qantas: The 12 Airbus A380s owned by Qantas were moved to California for long-term storage at the beginning of the pandemic. However, as the airline tries to increase international capacity, including resuming flights to New York, Qantas intends to reactivate its five-parked Airbus A380s by December 2023 due to a faster-than-expected rebound in air travel demand.

9. Qatar Airways: Its fleet of ten Airbus A380s includes two grounded aircraft. Eight A380s are now in service with Qatar Airways, flying to Bangkok, Sydney, Perth, and London Heathrow. Qatar Airways also intends to resume Airbus A380 service between Paris and London on December 15.

10. Singapore Airlines: Beginning in May of next year, Singapore Airlines will operate its Airbus A380 fleet to Melbourne for the first time in almost four years. beginning on May 16th, 2023, and ending on October 28th, 2023. Out of its 12-plane superjumbo fleet, it is operating 10, and two A380s were parked. One of the shortest scheduled flights ever made by the A380 is the 160-nautical mile trip.