Photos of the Week: Big Whale Arrives

Airbus A380 superjumbos return to the skies

By BlueSkyStaff

Published April 10, 2023

Read Time: 2 mins

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The post-pandemic rebound in demand for air travel is so strong, some retired airplanes are making a comeback.

That includes the world’s largest passenger plane: the Airbus A380 jumbo jet, nicknamed “The Whale,” a fan favorite among passengers and aviation enthusiasts.

A steep drop in travel during the pandemic forced airlines such as Air France and Asiana Airlines to park most of the worldwide A380 fleet, leaving the double-decker planes with an uncertain future.

But now some airlines are rushing to bring their A380s back into service. Their high seat counts are proving to be invaluable at a time when airlines are looking to add capacity and keep pace with travel demand.

One such airline is British Airways, which operates 12 A380s. After abruptly phasing out its A380s and Boeing 747-400s in July 2020, the airline announced it would return all its A380s to service in October 2021 following the U.S.’ announcement that it would re-open its borders to international trave