Hi Fly have revealed to Simple Flying that their second A380 could join their fleet as soon as next year. They plan to evaluate the success of the first Airbus A380 soon, and will decide upon a second aircraft after that.

Hi Fly have long been toying with the idea of more A380 aircraft for their fleet, but now it seems a second A380 could be soon to arrive at the Portuguese wet lease firm. Speaking to Simple Flying, Hi Fly told us,

“Our plan is to operate the A380 for a full fiscal year before deciding when to introduce the next one, most probably there will be a second unit arriving next year. We believe additional A380 aircraft will join our fleet very soon.”

Currently, Hi Fly own and operate an all Airbus fleet consisting of: 3 A319s, 1 A320, 8 A330s, 7 A340s and 1 A380.

Their first A380 has been a fantastic addition to their fleet, so it’s immensely exciting to see them considering a second A380 as soon as next year

Popular with passengers

There’s nothing quite like flying on the A380, and with many airlines looking to retire or even already getting rid of the aircraft, it’s becoming a rare treat. Although the A380 didn’t work economically for many carriers, it’s always been a firm favorite with the passengers, and this has been true for Hi Fly too. They told us,

“Passengers love to fly the A380 and it offers a great solution for routes with a limited number of slots and growing demand.”

Being an ex-Singapore Airlines A380, the Hi Fly aircraft retains the luxurious interior touches of the south east Asian carrier, including their lavish suites. For some passengers, this represents an unexpected upgrade from the premium class seat they were expecting.

Most carriers using Hi Fly’s wet lease service simply allocate the suites on an ad hoc basis, although Norwegian reportedly began charging an extra $400 for the privilege.

For carriers, the ability to snag a bit of A380 action at short notice has proven invaluable. It’s likely that the demand for intermittent A380 services will continue to grow, as passenger demand ramps up faster than airports can expand. As such, boosting their A380 capacity could be a great move for Hi Fly.

Hi Fly’s A380 in high demand

We can’t get enough of the Hi Fly A380, not least because of that stunning ‘save the coral reefs’ livery. Since its acquisition last July, the aircraft has been busy keeping passengers moving all over the world.

The Hi Fly A380 has proven to be a valuable asset in covering for airlines who are missing their 787 Dreamliners. Back in August last year, Norwegian Air Shuttle used the A380 to fly its transatlantic London to New York route while the Rolls Royce engine problems grounded the carrier’s Dreamliners.

Air Austral also used the A380 to replace their 787-8, which was taken out of service for engine inspections. For them, the aircraft flew to La Reunion, a remote island in the Indian Ocean. More recently, the A380 has landed at Madagascar on behalf of Air Madagascar. Both these missions saw the aircraft landing at airports unaccustomed to handling such large aircraft.

Hi Fly told Simple Flying,

“Hi Fly is working to increase the number of airports that can accommodate the world’s largest airliner and it has been often successful landing the A380 in countries and airports where it has never landed before. This was the case of Beja in Portugal, Reunion Island and now Madagascar.”

Hi Fly seem very positive that a second A380 will be joining their fleet pretty soon. With the anniversary of their ownership of 9H-MIP coming up this summer, we hope to hear more about a new aircraft joining Hi Fly in the coming months.