A Malaysia Airlines Airbus A380 took off from Kuala Lumpur Airport on Monday, operating its first international flight since March 2020. However, the aircraft wasn't full of passengers and cargo. Instead, it was ferried to Tarmac Aerosave's Tarbes facility in southwest France.Last week we saw the final passenger flight of a China Southern Airbus A380.However, the Chinese carrier isn't the only one looking to the end of the giant of the skies. Having tried to sell its Airbus A380s via LinkedIn, the Malaysian flag carrier now appears to be sunsetting its A380 fleet. In August, the airline revealed that the Airbus A380 fleet would be ditched by the end of the year.

Heading to France

Earlier today, 9M-MNC took off from Kuala Lumpur Airport (KUL) loaded with fuel. According to FlightRadar24.com, the aircraft was due to take to the skies at 07:30, though its departure was delayed until 09:11. Having gotten airborne, the lightly loaded airliner climbed to 38,000 ft and then 40,000 feet.

Some 13 hours and four minutes after taking to the skies, the aircraft made contact with the ground once more, though this time it had flown over 10,000 kilometers around the world, touching down in Tabes (LDE), France, at 15:15, roughly 90 minutes later than planned.

About 9M-MNC

9M-MNC is a 10.68-year-old Airbus A380, according to fleet data from ch-aviation.com. The aircraft was ordered by Malaysia Airlines almost 19 years ago, on December 11th, 2003. It eventually took its first flight on March 14th, 2012, before being delivered exactly eight months later.

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The aircraft is equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines and a three-class cabin with 486 seats. This consists of 412 economy, 66 business class, and eight first class. To date, the aircraft has only spent 26,131 hours in the sky (equating to 2.98 years) across 2,446 flights. Despite its low mileage, the plane, currently valued at $37.64 million, is unlikely to find another user. Malaysia Airlines kept it flying at least once every three months since it was grounded in March 2020.

Why Tarbes?

Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport (LDE) is located in the Occitanie region in the southwest of France. It only has scheduled flights from a handful of short-haul carriers (including Ryanair), but is home to a considerable collection of widebody aircraft of many sizes and colors. Tarmac Aerosave has a large base at Tarbes, alongside a sister site in Teruel, Spain. The company is particularly well known for scrapping aircraft when they are no longer wanted, but it also maintains some in storage until they are called upon to operate again.

The site in Tarbes already has a varied collection of Airbus A380s. According to data from ch-aviation.com, 19 aircraft have ended up at Tarbes, of which five are confirmed to have been scrapped. These include examples from Air France, Emirates, Etihad, Hi Fly, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and now also Malaysia Airlines. While 9M-MNC could be stored upon its arrival in France, its outlook certainly looks bleak.

What do you think will happen to this Airbus A380? Let us know what you think and why in the comments below (click the blue box with the speech bubble icon).

Sources: FlightRadar24.com, ch-aviation.com

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  Malaysia Airlines

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  MH/MAS

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Kuala Lumpur International Airport

  Year Founded:

  May 1st, 1947

  Alliance:

  oneworld

  CEO:

  Izham Ismail

  Country:

  Malaysia