The return of Etihad's A380

Etihad Airways Airbus A380-800 (A6-APC) - Darryl Morrell - AirTeamImages.com 

Super Promising! On a relatively cloudless day in London, a giant of the skies is seen in the distance carrying passengers from Abu Dhabi. People look on and watch in awe as the Super Commercial airliner touches down at 06:52 BST completing its first trip back since the COVID Pandemic. Etihad 11 Super's first trip lasted 7 hours and 39 minutes and looks to be the start of extended Super commercial aircraft presence in Europe.

Etihad Airways flight EY11 from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow 

So how does this factor into the importance of aviation? Looking over the past 4 years, we saw a huge decline in air travel due to the pandemic. As passengers traveled less, the need for super commercial aircraft dwindled, causing airlines to place theirs in storage.

In the past few months, we've seen the return of British Airways reviving their A380 fleet along with Lufthansa and now Etihad. The extended capacity will help transport more passengers on one flight versus a 787 or a330. These popular routes have needed this upgrade for some time, and now that the world is transitioning out of its lockdown phase, the need for more seating has awakened the A380 from a deep sleep.

A6-APG was first delivered to Etihad Airways back in 2016 and only flew until 2020 when it was then grounded. For an aircraft only 7.5 years old, it has already spent half of its service life in storage. Will we one day see the rise of all 10 A380s in Etihad's fleet? Possibly not. However, the few that are now active will only be utilized on the ever-so-demanding and popular Abu Dhabi – London Heathrow route. Until then, we can speculate when more will be called into action. Nevertheless, seeing these mammoths of the skies shows the aviation world that these beats are not done yet, but more so, resting until needed.

As an experienced aviation photographer, I know the importance of capturing images of aircraft and cementing those images into the world of aviation. It has always been a passion of mine, and a few years ago, I took it upon myself to turn my hobby into a career. I've taken thousands of photos, completed 15+ aerial photography flights, and have had the pleasure of shooting for airlines such as JetBlue, Play Airlines, and Spirit Airlines. My passion and love for this field of aviation isn’t the aircraft alone; it’s also the joy of knowing I’ve captured history daily.

This blog post was written in collaboration with Luke S., Aviation Photographer/ journalist Founder of Skiesnbeyond LLC

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