Once-Spurned Superjumbos Return to Skies as Travel Roars Back
- A380 has had an unexpected revival during post-Covid recovery
- Reversal validates major owners including Emirates, Qantas
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Written off as an over-sized anachronism when Covid-19 upended aviation, the world’s largest passenger plane is enjoying an unlikely revival to handle an overwhelming rebound in air travel.
Many airlines struggled to see a future for their enormous Airbus SE A380s when the pandemic grounded fleets in early 2020. Qantas Airways Ltd. parked its 12 double-deckers in the Californian desert, saying they wouldn’t be needed for at least three years, while Etihad Airways said it’s not clear if its 10 superjumbos will ever fly again.