The number of Airbus A380 operators will increase by 66% in November, with two carriers set to return the giant aircraft to the skies. British Airways and Singapore Airlines will initially launch short-haul flights with the giant for crew training purposes before switching to long-haul.
A year ago, it seemed as though the Airbus A380 might never return with many carriers other than Emirates. However, with aviation's recovery gathering pace, operators appear to be lining up for its return, including some unlikely candidates. Next month British Airways and Singapore Airlines will get back to flying the giant.
Singapore Airlines first
The first of the two airlines to bring back the Airbus A380 will be Singapore Airlines. The Singapore flag carrier recently scrapped two retired A380s but will get half of its original fleet back in service over time. From Thursday, November 4th, Singapore Airlines will operate a daily rotation between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur according to schedule data from aviation experts Cirium.
The daily rotation to Kuala Lumpur is scheduled to extend until the end of November, allowing the crew to get used to working on the giant jet once more. From November 18th, the plane will resume long-haul duties, with flights to London Heathrow planned. These will be operated under the Vaccine Travel Lane program. In total, Singapore Airlines has 36 rotations planned for the month.
British Airways to follow
British Airways will resume flights with the A380 the week after Singapore Airlines. The British Flag carrier is set to fly the giant of the skies from Monday, November 8th. The airline isn't so set on jumping right back into long-haul. Instead, the airline will operate a daily Airbus A380 rotation from London Heathrow to Frankfurt and London Heathrow to Madrid.
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These daily flights will continue until December 2nd, with the airline's long-haul services due to start flying to Dubai, Miami, and Los Angeles. While starting later than Singapore Airlines, the double daily rotation from the word go means that British Airways has more flights planned. In total, British Airways has 46 A380 rotations scheduled for November.
2nd & 3rd largest A380 airlines
Interestingly, with the return of the A380, British Airways and Singapore Airlines will instantly become the second and third largest airlines operating the type, based on the number of flights scheduled. They will surpass China Southern, who never grounded the jet, with 31 flights, and Korean Airlines with eight flights.
Of course, both carriers still have nothing scheduled when compared to the A380 giant, Emirates. The Dubai-based carrier has 2,164 flights planned for the month, taking the type across the world to five continents.
Are you planning to fly on an Airbus A380 in November? Let us know where and when you're traveling in the comments!