Following the permanent halt in the production of Airbus A380 aircraft, many carriers have retired the giant double-decker aircraft from their fleet. However, last year some carriers have surprisingly announced their plan to reactivate the aircraft after a rebound in international travel.
Several airlines have already brought back A380s, including Singapore Airlines and Australian flag carrier Qantas, which has so far returned six of its A380s to service. However, in one statement, the airline confirmed that the slot constraints with its MRO services are slowing down the process of the reactivation of the A380s. German carrier Lufthansa has also announced its plan to return some A380 aircraft to service this summer. Additionally, in December 2022, Etihad Airways also unveiled plans to reactivate its fleet of 10 A380 aircraft.
The data below illustrates the spike in aircraft returning from storage in 2023 and 2024. Beyond then, we will see an increase in the retirement of A380 aircraft. According to Aviation Week’s 2023 Fleet & MRO Forecast, nine A380s will return from storage in 2023 and next year a total 46 aircraft are expected to return from the storage.
According to Aviation Week data, over the next 10 years, the widebody aircraft will represent a value of $23.5 billion in MRO spending. It is forecast that 45% of A380 aftermarket demand will consist of engine maintenance. Modification and components account for 22% and 14%, respectively, while line maintenance and airframe heavy will see demand around $2.3 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively.
The largest A380 operator, Emirates, has begun cabin upgrades on its fleet of 67 aircraft. Thus, there will be a spike in modifications from 2023-25. The data below also shows the decline in A380 MRO demand in 2026.
According to the data, over the next decade, the A380 will see a total demand of 1,196 C checks and 1,188 engine overhaul shop visits. Meanwhile, there will be a demand of 146 D checks and 16 engine LLP events for the A380 over the next 10 years.
Source: Aviation Week Intelligence Network Commercial Aviation 2023 Fleet & MRO Forecast
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