British Airways is ferrying more Airbus A380s south to long term storage in Chateauroux. As such, we decided to take a look back at the entry into service of the giant of the skies with the British flag carrier.
British Airways received its first Airbus A380 almost seven years ago; that aircraft is now 7.4 years old, according to Planespotters. In this time, the Airbus A380 fleet has gone on to ferry British Airways customers on high-density routes around the globe. In fact, I've been lucky enough to fly on half of the fleet so far.
G-XLEA
G-XLEA was the first British Airways Airbus A380 to be manufactured and delivered. The aircraft has the manufacturer serial number 095 and took its first flight on the 9th of November 2012, according to AIB Family. The plane itself made an appearance at the Paris Air Show in 2013, ahead of its delivery. The paperwork for the aircraft delivery was signed on the 3rd of July 2013, with the delivery itself taking place on the 4th.
The delivery of the Airbus A380 was an extraordinary moment for the British flag carrier, and as such, it made sure that the event didn't go unnoticed. Many of the airline's staff gathered at London Heathrow to welcome the giant of the skies to its new home.
British Airways then took the Airbus A380 to Manston Airport in Kent for crew familiarisation, both with the cabin crew and pilots. The aircraft also visited Cardiff (home to British Airways' heavy maintenance base) and Shannon. At the latter, it came face to face with the smallest aircraft in the British Airways fleet, the Airbus A318.
In late September 2015, the airline launched its first long-haul destination with the Airbus A380. This saw the giant of the skies flying to Los Angeles. Upon arrival in Los Angeles, the airline held a star-studded party.
What about the other A380s?
Since British Airways launched its service to Los Angeles, it has gone on to take another 11 Airbus A380s from Airbus. Willie Walsh, CEO of the airline's owner, even said he would consider more A380s at the right price.
Unfortunately, given the current lack of demand for air travel, the Airbus A380 remains grounded for the time being. At the time of writing, eight of the aircraft have so far been ferried down to Chateauroux in France for long term storage. Three more are set to make the journey for storage, while the final A380 remains in Manila undergoing heavy maintenance.
British Airways' most recent type to enter service was the Airbus A350 in August last year. This aircraft was yesterday involved in a collision in Dubai. British Airways had expected to receive its first Boeing 787-10 in January. However, this aircraft has now been delayed by a quarter of a year so far. With Boeing's production affected by the current situation, it is unclear when this will eventually be delivered.
Have you flown on one of British Airways' Airbus A380s? Let us know your favorite experience in the comments!