Thai Airways is selling its fleet of Airbus A380 planes.
But why?
Well, in the complex world of aviation, there is a simple
answer. It has outlived its usefulness.
Many airlines are finding that for economic and sustainable
reasons, among others, the world’s largest commercial airliner is no longer
needed. Carriers are finding that in the post-COVID era, they can fly from
Point A to Point B much more cheaply and feasibly.
“It was a popular airplane when it was introduced back in
2007 and remains a popular airplane with passengers today,” said Shea Oakley, a
commercial aviation historian based in New York. “The bigger issue is has it
been good for the airlines? And it’s more of a mixed bag there.”
Thai Airways has a modest fleet of six of the A380s and
hasn’t flown one of them since the pandemic. It’s not that the equipment is
anachronistic or anything. The plane is only 16 years old. And in fact, it has
flown more than 300 million passengers.
But the numbers are dwindling.
According to airline data analysis firm Cirium, just 154 of
the more than 250 built in the last 14 years remain. The company also estimates
that by year’s end, it will fly 77,000 flights with the plane, as opposed to a
high of 120,000 in 2019. Airbus stopped building the A380 almost three years
ago. The airlines and passengers alike were thrilled that they were able to fly
with customizable interiors, including stand-up bars and showers.
“It’s not that the A380 doesn’t have incredible technology —
it does,” Oakley said. “It was sort of the wrong plane at the wrong time.”
For instance, what was once seen as powerful with its four
engines is now a fuel-guzzler.
“In theory, the A380 should have been successful because it
lowered the per-passenger cost,” said Kerry Tan, a professor at Loyola
University, Maryland. “But that assumed that all of the seats — or at least
most of the seats — would be full. Airlines thought the demand would be there,
unfortunately, it wasn’t necessarily the case.”
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