Air France has accelerated plans to phase out its Airbus A380 fleet and will retire the aircraft immediately rather than in 2022 as previously scheduled.

Air France grounded its A380s on 16 March as the coronavirus pandemic began to take a toll on operations, before ultimately suspending the majority of its scheduled passenger flights. Air France-KLM has today 05/20/2020 announced the “definitive end” of the French carrier’s Airbus A380 operations.

Initially scheduled by the end of 2022, the phase-out of Airbus A380 fleet fits in the Air France-KLM Group fleet simplification strategy of making the fleet more competitive, by continuing its transformation with more modern, high-performance aircraft with a significantly reduced environmental footprint,” the group says.

Prior to the pandemic, the airline had already begun withdrawing the first of its A380s in February as part of the planned phase-out over the next three years. The first aircraft entered storage at Ireland West Airport near Knock on 20 February under the care of Eirtrade Aviation.

Five of the Airbus A380 aircraft in the current fleet are owned by Air France or on finance lease. A further four are on operating lease. Air France-KLM says the impact of the A380 phase-out write down is estimated at €500 million and will be booked in the second quarter of 2020 as a non-current cost/expenses. The fleet is powered by Engine Alliance GP7200s.

In December Air France-KLM Group said it was ordering another 10 Airbus A350-900s, which would be used to replace the company’s A380s.

Source: https://www.flightglobal.com/fleets/air-france-terminates-a380-fleet-with-immediate-effect/138463.article

If and after Emirates Airlines terminate their own fleet of A380, that will be the end of the beautiful giant bird.

Just like the Concord, the world will surely miss A380.

Initially scheduled by the end of 2022, the phase-out of Airbus A380 fleet fits in the Air France-KLM Group fleet simplification strategy of making the fleet more competitive, by continuing its transformation with more modern, high-performance aircraft with a significantly reduced environmental footprint,” the group says.

Ehen. Let them continue tweaking and tweaking until the planes start hitting the ground at 800km/hr.

Ishilove:

Ehen. Let them continue tweaking and tweaking until the planes start hitting the ground at 800km/hr.

It's not really about that. It's more about strategy and economics than technology.

naptu2:


It's not really about that. It's more about strategy and economics than technology.

Yes indeedy. Boeing and their 737 Max flying coffins can testify

Ishilove:

Yes indeedy. Boeing and their 737 Max flying coffins can testify

I have tagged you in one of my old posts. Read it.

naptu2:


I have tagged you in one of my old posts. Read it.

Read and understood. I think you should post it here.

Replace the Elephants with the French poodles.

Ishilove:

Yes indeedy. Boeing and their 737 Max flying coffins can testify

I prefer Boeing to airbus

kingreign:




I prefer Boeing to airbus

We all have our preferences

I ave never entered an Airbus. But I have entered boeing and those smaller propeller engines planes. If you have entered an Airbus, let me know how it's like

Damnnnnn niggarrr
Isoright

Dang i love those airbuses

Corona don spoil things. Well it all boils down to efficiency.

Dang i love those airbuses.
Boeing is loud, tight, overated and inefficient

Wow such a shame to see the end of such a beautiful piece of human engineering.

Not a bad idea.

No problem

A lot of airlines are having a rethink about the Airbus A380 as this new world order finally got them finding ways to reduce cost of flying.

Boeing 777 series seem to be the darlings now.

#StaySafe

So long Airbus 380s the world will miss you!
I just hope they don’t end up here in Nigeria as usual na

That is good news...

I will need 30 of those A380, I am buying it for a giant of Africa for there airNigeria .

Cool...Oyibo Sabi manage things that's why it looks as if they are way better than us but in actual sense.....we dey wise but na poor management dey yakpa us

the A380 is still a beauty nah.
Anyway,let them be donated to air peace, or the invisible Nigeria air; I think it's high time they began purchasing planes that can actually be seen.
But then again, will they be able to fill the planes beyond 50% capacity?

But why is France retiring the A380 nah
I reckon the Jets are simply too big, and they are hardly filled to capacity hence incurring losses.
And this was something that was built to dethrone Boeing.

By 2025 we go see am for 9ja

The aviation sector is badly hit by the restriction on travel as a result of the Chinese Virus pandemic

I hope they have no plans of terminating their Boeing 747 fleet as well

One

One Nigeria agent will go bid for that old cargo now forgetting how old it is.

Airbuses are very expensive to purchase and maintain, although they have the lowest plane crash rates.

J111333:
If and after Emirates Airlines terminate their own fleet of A380, that will be the end of the beautiful giant bird.

Just like the Concord, the world will surely miss A380.

WHAT ABOUT NIGERIANS THAT HAVE NOT HAD THE PRIVILEGES OF ENTERING "HALLOW PLANE"

THEY MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY as the plane is about to disappear from the radar.

Hope they won't refurbish and send it to the 3rd world or developing countries?