SINGAPORE: The most stylish & lavish, double-decker, four-engine Airbus A380 is a titan of the skies, but that doesn’t mean that airlines actually want to fly it. Two of the enormous craft, which only entered service about ten years ago, are about to be stripped for parts. Ten years after introduction, two of the giant airliners just can’t find a home.
The two planes in question were operated by Singapore Airlines, which put the first Airbus A380 into operation in October of 2017. When Singapore Airlines decided to retire them before the end of their useful life, no other airlines showed considerable interest in buying the second-hand planes. So instead of flying again, the duo will be stripped of components like electronics and landing gear, although the German investment group that currently owns the planes will stop short of fully scrapping the airframes.
This move comes as part of an industry-wide shift away from enormous planes that allow airlines to focus on a “hub and spokes” model of organization, with planes like the A380 servicing central airports specially outfitted to accommodate its size. Instead, increasingly efficient twin-engine jets like Boeing’s 737 MAX are allowing airlines to shy away from connecting flights and run longer, less popular, non-stop flights profitably.
So if you were hoping to see an impossible quadruple-decker monster plane in real life, don’t hold your breath.
