Middle Eastern carrier Etihad Airways has welcomed one other Airbus A380 back from maintenance because it prepares to reintroduce the sort to fulfill increased demand.
The third of 4 Airbus A380-800 aircraft to be reactivated by the UAE flag carrier has arrived safely back at its hub in Abu Dhabi. They’re expected to debut on the carrier’s path to London Heathrow by the tip of July.
The long return
The double-decker departed Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN), China, at 02:58 this morning (July seventeenth). The flight route continued over China for several hours before reaching Maynamar and Bangladesh. The aircraft continued across India and Pakistan before crossing the Gulf of Oman and Muscat on the ultimate stretch into the UAE. The superjumbo touched down at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) at 07:15 after a flight of eight hours and fourteen minutes.
The aircraft had been undergoing maintenance at XMN since its arrival on May 4th. It was previously in long-term storage at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport (LDE) in France, where it was relegated in 2021.
Photo: FlightRadar24.com
Taking its place in the upkeep hangar is the fourth and final A380 to be reactivated. The airplane, registered as A6-APJ, flew to XMN for maintenance on July eleventh, 2023. It departed its Teruel Airport (TEV) storage facility in Spain at 06:30, arriving in China at 02:17 the identical day, after a flight of six and a half hours.
Bringing back the massive ones
The aircraft in query continues to be relatively young. A6-API took its first flight on October twenty fifth, 2016, and was delivered to the airline the next March. During its previous energetic stint, the A380 flew over 15,000 flight hours across 1,698 cycles—a mean of two,443 flights per 12 months. The length of every segment also stands out because of the carrier’s hub system. This airframe’s average flight duration is nine hours and thirteen minutes.
The previous flagship features the enduring suite, exclusive to Etihad’s A380s. The apartment has room for as much as two guests with a bedroom, en-suite bathroom with shower, and a separate living area. The carrier’s A380s are configured to seat 498 passengers. Along with the Residence Suites, the double-decker has nine seats in first-class, 70 in business class, and 405 economy class seats.
Photo: Ryken Martin / Shutterstock
The primary superjumbo to return, AP-APG, was positioned from storage in Tarbes to Abu Dhabi on May ninth. It was spotted on Saturday, July fifteenth conducting a three-hour test flight over the ocean near Abu Dhabi before returning to the airport at 18:04.
A second, A6-APH, returned on June twenty first and has not been seen within the air over the past week.
In accordance with Etihad Airways’ booking schedule, the primary date the A380 will depart AUH for London Heathrow on July twenty fifth, 2023, operating as flight EY11. The airline will add a second every day service between Abu Dhabi and Heathrow on August 1st. With a 3rd every day A380 service joining the combination from October 1st.
Source: FlightRadar24.com, AeroTime