Work is reportedly set to begin on removing the first Lufthansa Airbus A380 from long-term storage this week. Earlier this year, Lufthansa revealed that a portion of its fleet would return to the skies to help with the busy summer peak expected in 2023.Things looked really touch and go for the giant of the skies at the height of the pandemic, with many wondering if most airlines would ever resume flights with the type. Thankfully for the double-decker quadjet, over half of its operators have since brought the type back to service.
Preparing Lufthansa’s giants
Tarmac Aerosave in Teruel, Spain, is reportedly beginning work to return the first of several Lufthansa Airbus A380s to flightworthy condition. German Aviation Journalist Andreas Spaeth tweeted the news earlier this week, along with a picture showing the current state of the aircraft’s interior.
At the height of the pandemic in July 2020, Dirk Ranft, an engineer at Lufthansa, told Simple Flying that putting an aircraft into storage requires roughly 200 hours of work. This means that very little maintenance is needed in the interim. However, as a result, a large number of work hours are required to undo everything, such as reconnecting batteries, removing covers, testing systems, and more…
Don’t forget to check the slides!
While returning Lufthansa’s Airbus A380s to an airworthy condition, Tarmac Aerosave engineers are likely to pay particular attention to the state of the aircraft’s emergency slides.
Last month EASA issued an airworthiness directive concerning the Airbus A380’s slides after a long period in storage. The upper and over-wing slides (these are the ones that are not mounted on the aircraft door) need to be replaced on aircraft that have been in storage. The urgency of the slide replacement depends on how long the aircraft has spent in storage.
The Lufthansa Airbus A380 fleet
Lufthansa’s Airbus A380 fleet comprises 14 aircraft spread across the two Tarmac Aerosave sites in Teruel, Spain, and Tarbes, France.
Unfortunately for Airbus A380 fans, only a small fleet of the giant aircraft is set to return to the German flag carrier. In late June, a Lufthansa spokesperson said that four-five A380s would come back, with all of the returning fleet to be based at the airline’s second-largest base, Munich Airport. At the time, a Lufthansa spokesperson told Simple Flying,
“In an internal meeting Carsten Spohr confirmed that Lufthansa will station 4-5 Airbus A380s in Munich as of summer 2023.”
The German flag carrier has yet to confirm exactly when the aircraft will return to service or where it will fly. Simple Flying will keep readers up to date with the latest developments.
Are you excited to see some positive news for the Lufthansa Airbus A380 fleet? Let us know what you think and why in the comments by clicking the blue box down below!
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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
