In our monthly check-in with the Cirium team, we examine the ups and downs of the Airbus A380 programme
Arguably one of the most iconic aircraft to ever take to the skies, the Airbus A380 operated its first passenger flight 16 years ago.
Fast-forward to the present day and the super-jumbo is well on its way to operating a million passenger flights, having notched up 800,000+ journeys carrying more than 300 million passengers since its entry into service.
In light of this impressive operating record, Cirium examined its history and analysed data looking at how flights on the world’s largest passenger aircraft recovered in 2022. This is especially pertinent since production of the double decker has now come to an end, with the last delivery being made to Emirates.
Some have argued that the A380 had a limited lifespan even before the COVID-19 crisis, with aircraft such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350 offering much better fuel consumption per seat – thanks in part to having just two engines instead of four – without sacrificing flight range. This school of thought was epitomised by the introduction of Qantas’ 17-hour non-stop flight between London and Perth, typically operated by a 787.
After an initial flurry of activ…