We have reached the 15th anniversary of the Airbus A380 entering into commercial service. On October 25th, 2007, Singapore Airlines flight SQ380 departed Changi Airport in Singapore, bound for Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport. As the launch customer for the largest commercial aircraft to enter service, this was a prestigious flight. Singapore Airlines made sure to maximize publicity and show off the aircraft.

Singapore Airlines was the launch customer, but Emirates is the largest operator

The first commercial Airbus A380 flight was preceded by the usual fanfare reserved for a new aircraft. There was a huge media presence, and passengers were greeted with gifts, including a certificate to commemorate the occasion. One passenger onboard had even flown on the inaugural Boeing 747 flight back in 1970.

Although Singapore Airlines was the launch customer and enjoyed the profile this brings, it is another airline that has become synonymous with the aircraft. Emirates quickly became the largest operator of the type, and it has become a mainstay of its fleet and an integral part of its business model.

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The A380 has become a favorite of passengers, if not for airlines

The Airbus A380 quickly became extremely popular with passengers, but the number of orders anticipated by Airbus did not materialize. It is a difficult aircraft to fill consistently with passengers, and as a quadjet, the operating costs are higher.

The Airbus A380 was designed as an aircraft to solve airport congestion, particularly at slot-constrained, congested airports. With a theoretical maximum capacity of over 800 passengers, like most operators, Singapore Airlines configured its Airbus A380 fleet with a lower capacity. Consistently filling an aircraft with 800 passengers is difficult, and operators of the Airbus A380 have configured their fleets with layouts that maximize revenue with a combination of cabins.

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Including test aircraft, over 250 Airbus A380s have been constructed. Airbus has noted the following milestones and achievements:

• The A380 is operated to over 70 destinations.
• Over 400 airports are compatible with handling the A380.
• Over 300 million passengers have been carried on over 800,000 flights.

Airlines that can fill the aircraft and achieve their target yields can make a success of the aircraft. However, new twinjet aircraft entering service with lower operating costs and a similar range to the Airbus A380 have proved to be strong competition. Airlines have started to favor twinjets with lower operating costs, opening up more point-to-point routes.

What happened to the first A380 to enter commercial service?

The aircraft used by Singapore Airlines for the inaugural flight is no longer in service with the airline. According to ch-aviation.com, the aircraft to be registered as 9V-SKA was delivered on October 12th, 2007. It remained with the airline until June 11th, 2017, when it was returned to the lessor. Despite being only in operation for 10 years, it was scrapped in November 2018.

Aviation enthusiasts had an opportunity to own a part of this aviation history, as the parts of the aircraft were upcycled and sold off. The main components were stripped and used for spare parts or recycled. However, other parts were turned into keyrings for sale.

Singapore Airlines A380 fleet today

Singapore Airlines still operates the aircraft, which will likely be a significant component of its fleet for the foreseeable future. At the time of writing, Singapore Airlines has 17 Airbus A380s in its fleet, including aircraft undergoing maintenance and others in storage.

The airline's A380 fleet was grounded during the COVID-19 pandemic, but reactivated in November 2021. As of October 2022, it has 10 Airbus A380s back in service, with two more to follow. The carrier has upgraded the cabins on all aircraft that have returned to service and is completing upgrades on the remaining airframes.

Familiar destinations have returned, including London, Sydney, and Shanghai, but, with a smaller fleet, the Airbus A380 network is likely to be smaller than it was. Nevertheless, after 15 years in service with 14 airlines, passengers will be able to enjoy the comforts of the Airbus A380 for many years to come.

• 

  Airbus

  Stock Code:

  AIR

  Date Founded:

  1970-12-18

  CEO:

  Guillaume Faury

  Headquarters Location:

  Toulouse, France

  Key Product Lines:

  Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380

  Business Type:

  Planemaker

• 

  Singapore Airlines

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  SQ/SIA

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Singapore Changi Airport

  Year Founded:

  1972

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  CEO:

  Goh Choon Phong

  Country:

  Singapore