Summary

• Lufthansa initiated the first A380 service to Miami in 2011, on an occasion marked with celebrations.
• Miami was the third US destination for Lufthansa's A380 and the fifth US airport to have superjumbo flights.
• Miami Airport has also seen A380 services from Air France and British Airways.

Miami has always been a great place for aviation enthusiasts as it welcomes some of the world's most beloved aircraft, including the largest passenger jets. The airport saw its first Airbus A380 service in 2011 when Lufthansa deployed the superjumbo on the route from Frankfurt.

The inaugural flight marked a special occasion for the airport, the airline, the crew, and all passengers onboard. It was a special flight, celebrated in a way that all involved would remember for years to come. While Lufthansa does not fly the A380 to Miami anymore, the airport still receives superjumbo flights from London, operated by British Airways.

Lufthansa had the first A380 service to Miami

It has been nearly 13 years since the inaugural A380 flight touched down at Miami International Airport (MIA). On June 10th, 2011, Lufthansa began daily A380 flights from Frankfurt Airport (FRA), replacing the Boeing 747-400 on the route. It became the first airline to offer scheduled flights to Miami with the superjumbo.

However, Miami was its third A380 destination in the US after New York (JFK) and San Fransisco (SFO). The FRA-SFO A380 service had been launched a month before Miami. According to an airline official, 'The Magic City,' as it is affectionately known, was chosen as the third destination due to the high number of German tourists visiting South Florida every year.

Miami was also the fifth airport in the US and the first in the southeastern part of the country to see the superjumbo. At the time, the German carrier had six A380s in its fleet, flying them to about seven destinations, including Tokyo (NRT), Beijing (PEK), and Johannesburg (JNB).

Celebrating the inaugural flight

While other US airports already had A380 flights, the long-awaited arrival of the double-deck jetliner in Miami became a reality nearly four years after its first commercial flight. On the day of the inaugural service, hundreds of passengers, journalists, staff members, and planespotters waited at the airport to get a peek at the aircraft.

The MIA-FRA flight held the long-standing LH463 number, leaving Miami at 16:20 local time and landing in Frankfurt the following day at 07:15 AM. On the inaugural day, however, the schedule varied to account for all the events before the flight took off. On the flight, journalists and crew got a tour from airline executives to highlight the strengths of the A380 regarding comfort and efficiency.

Balloons, music, and goodie bags were all on offer to celebrate the occasion, ensuring passengers would also remember this experience. Upon touchdown, the aircraft was welcomed with the traditional water cannon salute provided by the Miami-Dade Fire Department. As reported by CBS News, Miami Airport spent approximately $4 million on terminal modifications to accommodate the superjumbo.

A380 services in Miami today

Sadly, Lufthansa's Frankfurt-Miami A380 service was discontinued in 2020 due to the pandemic, while the airline placed its A380s into long-term storage. Prior to that, Miami had two additional A380 services from Air France and British Airways. While Lufthansa's superjumbos are now flying again, they have not returned to Miami.

Given the importance of the route, Lufthansa only downgraded the A380 service to the 747-8, the next largest aircraft in its fleet and the one serving the route today. During the peak of COVID cuts, an A330-300 flew on the route, but now traffic has bounced back impressively. Currently, British Airways is the only carrier flying the A380 to Miami, with double daily flights from London.

What do you think about Lufthansa's A380s? Were you on the inaugural flight to Miami? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

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  Lufthansa

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  LH/DLH

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Frankfurt Airport, Munich Airport

  Year Founded:

  1953

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  Airline Group:

  Lufthansa Group

  CEO:

  Carsten Spohr

  Country:

  Germany

• 

  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