Picture this: a massive airplane with two floors and four engines that can fit up to 853 people. That’s the Airbus A380, and it even has fancy things like a shower and a bar on board! Pretty cool, right?
Some airlines like Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airways have been using these giant planes for their big hub airports. But during the pandemic, many airlines decided to retire their A380s. They’re switching to newer, more fuel-efficient planes like the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350.
Since 2020, airlines like Air France, Thai Airways, and Malaysia Airlines have said farewell to their A380s. Many of these planes end up being taken apart or stored in what people call “airplane graveyards” – big storage areas where retired planes are kept.
Qatar was thinking about what to do with their A380s too. Back in May 2021, the old boss of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, wasn’t too keen on keeping them. He said, “When it first came out in 2002, it looked promising. But now, with fuel costs going up and some design issues, we think it was a big mistake.”
But guess what? The new boss, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, who started in November, recently told CNBC that they’re planning to keep flying the A380s for at least another two or three years. That’s a big change!
Al Meer explained, “We were going to stop using the A380s this year. But because of a few different reasons, we’ve decided to keep them flying for longer.” He talked about things like how many people want to fly, how busy airports and the sky are, and how the new Boeing 777X plane is taking longer to arrive than expected.
Qatar Can Fill Its A380s Thanks to Lots of People Wanting to Fly
The A380 can carry tons of passengers, but sometimes it’s hard to fill up such a big plane. Plus, it uses a lot of fuel. Alan Joyce, who used to run Qantas Airways, once said he could fly two Boeing 787 Dreamliners (which can each hold 236 people) for less money than it costs to fly one A380 (which can hold 486 people).
But Qatar is seeing “really high demand” for some A380 routes to Europe and Asia, according to Al Meer. He said more than 86% of the seats are usually filled. That’s good news because it means they’re making more money to cover the high costs of flying such a big plane.
“The A380 is the only plane that can carry this many people,” Al Meer told CNBC. “It’s giving us exactly what we need right now.” He explained that because the skies and airports are so busy, they need to use their biggest planes to move as many people as possible.
“To make sure we can carry enough passengers, we have to use bigger planes instead of smaller ones,” Al Meer said. “And when it comes to big planes, nothing beats the Airbus A380.” He even mentioned that if the A380 had been introduced five or ten years from now, it might have been even more successful because it could have helped solve the problem of busy airports and crowded skies.
The A380’s Replacement Is Taking Longer Than Expected
Boeing is working on a new plane called the 777X. It’s the biggest twin-engine plane being made right now, with cool folding wingtips and a huge cabin that can fit over 400 people. Boeing is planning to make three versions: the 777-9, the smaller 777-8, and the 777F for carrying cargo.
But this new plane isn’t ready yet. It’s behind schedule by several years because of problems with production, the pandemic, and issues getting parts. Al Meer said this delay is one of the main reasons they’re keeping their A380s.
“We’re still waiting for the new planes to arrive,” he said. “So until we get them, we need to keep using the A380s.” Al Meer mentioned that Qatar expects to get its first batch of 74 Boeing 777Xs by the end of next year.
“Boeing has promised us this,” he told CNBC. “We’ll be watching closely to see how things go.” It looks like the A380 still has some life left in it after all!
