The airline company Etihad Airways “woke up” a third Airbus A380 of the four that will return to service this summer, initially between Abu Dhabi And London.
The flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates welcomed on July 17, 2023 to its base in Abu Dhabi the superjumbo registered A6-API, returned from Xiamen airport where it had been under maintenance since last May. It has since July 11 been joined in China by the A380 registered A6-APJpreviously stored in Teruel in Spain, Etihad Airways to review four of its ten aircraft in total.
The two other A380s that Etihad Airways plans to return to service have already returned, A6-APH since the end of June and A6-APG since March. The Emirati company has also filmed the preparations for the return to service of the superjumbos, configured to accommodate 11 passengers in Première (including two in Residence), 70 in Business class and 417 in Economy including 80 in Economy Space (498 seats).
According to the latest news, the A380s will resume service July 25 on a single road, that towards the airport of London-Heathrow – initially on the first of four daily rotations, taking off from Abu Dhabi at 2.05 a.m. (arrival at 6.45 a.m. after a 7.40 a.m. flight) and leaving the British capital at 9.30 a.m. (arrival at 7.35 p.m. after a 7.05 a.m. flight). The A380 will replace a Boeing 777-300ER, the other rotations being provided by 787-9 or 787-10 Dreamliner. A second daily flight by A380 will be launched from the beginning of August, with departure at 8:30 a.m. (arrival at 1:05 p.m.) and return at 2:50 p.m. (arrival the next day at 12:55 a.m.), and a third is announced for November.
Before the health crisis, Etihad Airways sent its A380s to LHR so (their main destination), Paris CDG, New York-JFK, Seoul-Incheon And Sydney Kingsford Smith.
Our beloved A380s are undergoing thorough inspections ahead of soaring the skies once again. Take a behind the scenes look at the preparation that happens as we ramp up to an experience you’ll never forget
#Etihad #EtihadA380 pic.twitter.com/pQv1RdtvYM
— Etihad Airways (@etihad) May 22, 2023
