This Is Why The Airbus A380 Made A Comeback At British Airways


From its home at London Heathrow Airport, British Airways continues to operate a fleet of 12 Airbus A380s, supporting its extensive international network, operating flights to the United States, Africa, and Asia. BA continues to operate the Airbus A380 due to ongoing delivery delays for replacement aircraft such as the Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 777X.

For BA, its operations at the heavily slot-constrained London Heathrow (LHR), operational scheduling is at a premium. For this airline, utilizing the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft allows it to transport more passengers at once, on some of the airline’s most popular long-haul international routes. As a Oneworld alliance member, the airline also utilizes these aircraft to feed passengers into its alliance partner hubs.

Taking Off Onboard The British Airways A380

The Airbus A380 offers additional benefits when compared to smaller aircraft, such as higher capacity capabilities, improved passenger comfort (such as it being surprisingly quiet given its size), and decreased operating costs due to the number of paying passengers onboard. Given that the airline owns these aircraft outright, the current overheads would also be much lower than when operating brand-new aircraft.

With 250 aircraft in the airline’s fleet, the 12 Airbus A380s were all delivered last decade, and are all fitted with four classes of service. These are to be retrofitted with all new seating, hopefully by the end of next year, to support the other widebodies in the airline’s network (made up of Airbus A350-1000, Boeing 777-200ER, 777-300ER, 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10). Once deliveries begin of the long-awaited Boeing 777-9, it could be expected to see the current Airbus A380 slowly be retired.

BA began its partnership with the A380 in 2007, when the airline announced an order of 36 long-haul aircraft, which encompassed 24 Boeing 787s and 12 A380s. The iconic Airbus double-decker went on to replace the airline’s 747 fleet, with the last being retired in June 2020, abruptly during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

One Of The Few Remaining Airlines Operating The A380

British Airways Airbus A380 taxiing at LHR shutterstock_2464888075

Photo: Ceri Breeze | Shutterstock

Alongside All Nippon Airways, Asiana, Emirates, Etihad, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Qantas, Qatar, and Singapore Airlines, British Airways is one of the sole remaining airlines that still operate the Airbus A380, with the likes of Air France, Malaysia Airlines, and Thai Airways having already retired their iconic double-deckers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant downturn in demand for air travel, with the A380 being one of the biggest victims of airline fleet retirement. British Airways, among many other carriers either parked or retired older aircraft, with BA resuming operations for all of its A380s in the years following, and today are justified on busy routes with a capacity of up to 469 passengers onboard in a mix of four different classes of service. Fleet data below as per ch-aviation:

Registration

Serial Number

Delivery Date

G-XLEA

95

July 4, 2013

G-XLEB

121

September 20, 2013

G-XLEC

124

October 18, 2013

G-XLED

144

January 17, 2014

G-XLEE

148

March 6, 2014

G-XLEF

151

May 15, 2014

G-XLEG

161

September 11, 2014

G-XLEH

163

October 16, 2014

G-XLEI

173

February 13, 2015

G-XLEJ

192

November 10, 2015

G-XLEK

194

February 3, 2016

G-XLEL

215

June 22, 2016

The United States sees the lion’s share of flight operations with the BA A380, operating direct services to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Miami International Airport (MIA), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Destinations for the A380 outside of the United States include Johannesburg Airport and Singapore Changi Airport also operate year-round. The deployment of this aircraft on these routes can ensure that British Airways can maximize its overall passenger load from the hugely popular and slot-constrained London Heathrow (LHR).

Related


Where British Airways Flies Its Very High Capacity 469-Seat Airbus A380s

The UK flag carrier has a small Airbus A380 fleet still in operation.

Four Classes Of Service

British Airways Airbus A380 Taxiing Wide Shot

Photo: Nick Morrish | British Airways

Configured with four classes of service, the British Airways fleet of Airbus A380 can accommodate 14 passengers in first, 97 business, 55 premium, and 303 economy class passengers. The premium cabins help the airline yield a higher overall margin when compared to smaller, short-haul flights within its network, which ensures the A380 remains lucrative. For the airlines’ premium passengers, a Club World bar offers those onboard complimentary non alcoholic and alcoholic beverages at 30,000 feet. Access is permitted to those who travel in first, business, and premium economy.

Being the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft, those seated on the upper deck can see it extend across the full length of the fuselage, offering 60% of headroom, and 50% more floor space when compared to the Boeing 747-400. On-demand audio and video systems are installed in all seats, ensuring passengers of any class can enjoy movies, television shows, music, and games throughout their flight, and its spacious and quiet cabins ensure you can sit back and relax while the flight crew escorts you to your final destination.

An interesting fact about the Airbus A380, as shared on the airline’s website, is that its wings can flex up to four meters during takeoff, and the wings of the plane are 54% larger than those of a Boeing 747 aircraft.

Awaiting New Aircraft Deliveries

British_Airways-A380_Cardiff-ref43216-1

Photo: British Airways

British Airways has multiple Boeing 777-9 and Airbus A350-1000 on order, which will eventually lead to the replacement of the Airbus A380. However, in the meantime, the British carrier has recommitted itself to utilizing the Airbus A380. The airline is currently completing a full refurbishment of its A380s, solidifying that these big birds will likely remain in operation into the next decade.

The A380 remains the perfect stopgap to fill post-pandemic travel demand through constrained home at Heathrow. Once BA receives additional A350-1000s, and the new Beoing 777-9, it’s is likely that BA will be one of the next airlines to quietly shudder operations of the iconic A380, which was once was a marvel of aviation engineering, and had signalled the bold ambitions of some of the world’s largest airlines.

A uniquely quiet the A380 is renowned for being one of the quietest in the skies, which has contributed to its success. Its unique, advanced engine design and additional soundproofing have created a sense of spaciousness, which supports its perception of reduced noise. Engine design, which includes ultra-high bypass ratios, ensures that the airflows around the core of the engine result in less noise.

Elegantly British Service In First Class

British Airways Airbus A380 landing shutterstock_281285078

Photo: Angel DiBilio | Shutterstock

Fitted with four classes of service, first class is the most luxurious way to fly on BA. From the moment you arrive at the airport, you are treated to fast-track security and exclusive access to the airline’s lounge network. Priority boarding means you are one of the first on the aircraft, and once onboard, you are treated to your own private, spacious suite, which is fitted with a fully flat bed. When it’s time to eat, a delicious, indulgent fine dining menu is offered, with dedicated service from your first-class cabin crew.

When it’s time to get some rest, the crew will make the bed for you, with luxurious bedding, paired with Temerley London loungewear, with an amenity bag, slippers, and a seven-piece luxury skin and body care collection from Elemis. First-class duvets have been made with recycled plastic water bottles, reassuring passengers that the airline is committed to being more sustainable and continually looking at ways to reduce the airline’s carbon footprint.

Space to relax in your suites allows you to cross the globe, enjoying excellent food, a wide range of entertainment options, with exclusively designed travel essentials. Each suite is fitted with a personal power supply to ensure your personal devices are fully charged by the time you touch down.

What’s Next For The British Airways A380

British Airways Airbus A380 at DFW shutterstock_2540189481

Photo: Austin Deppe | Shutterstock

At the moment, British Airways continues to deploy the double-decker on its routes to Los Angeles, Miami, Washington DC, and San Francisco, with some routes seeing the aircraft operate double daily. Additional services to Johannesburg, feed passengers into the airline’s wider code-share network across South Africa. Its direct link to Singapore, ironically, faces competition from other A380 operators, Qantas, and Singapore Airlines, which both operate the double-decker on direct routes to and from London Heathrow.

British Airways remains the largest operator of the Airbus A380, given that Air France has retired its A380s, and German carrier Lufthansa operates just eight of these aircraft. The BA A380 fleet has an average age of around 11 years of age, slightly ahead of the mean average age for all aircraft in the BA fleet, being 11.8 years. With 469 seats onboard, the A380 can carry over iover100 additional passengers when compared to the A370 and Boeing 777 twinjets.

The relationship between Airbus A380 and British Airways is expected to remain until at least the end of this decade, as the airline continues to battle the need to transport large passenger loads on highly competitive routes, whilst also waiting patiently for the delivery of new aircraft. Once the day finally comes for the A380 to exit the BA fleet, it can only be expected to have a royal send off with uniquely British attributes, waving goodbye to this iconic aircraft, which has been the backbone of the airline’s long-haul network, to some of the world’s most iconic international destinations.

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