Is your dream plane the A380? Where and with which airlines you can book from Italy and Europe

In 2020, at the height of the air transport crisis resulting from the Covid pandemic, it was feared that we would never again see the largest passenger aircraft of all time, the Airbus A380, in the skies.

Its four engines (consuming more than the two now fitted on all other long-haul models except the Boeing 747-8), but especially its enormous cargo capacity seemed incompatible with a world in which no one could fly. And gripped by doubt as to if, when, and how, it would be able to do so again. Airlines got rid of any remaining 747-400 still in the fleet, sending the newest 747-8s and A380s into indefinite retirement.

Two years later, In spring 2022, there was a boom: everyone (or almost everyone) could fly again and everyone wanted to. That was when the companies that had put the A380s on standby (all except Emirates, which several examples had continued to use them and never mentioned their premature retirement), there has been speculation of a return to service of the Super Jumbo.

Danger averted, then. Although what came out of the pandemic is A fleet downsized in terms of units in service and operators, compared with the pre-2020 fleet. Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines and China Southern They no longer use the giant of the skies. E the fleets of Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Lufthansa and even Emirates have lost parts.

To date, there are ten airlines deploying the double-decker, with a total of 192 airplanes in service. Of these 117 (were 123) They fly in the colors of Emirates, 12 with Singapore Airlines (they were twice as many, 24), 12 with British Airways (which together with Korean Air and Asiana returned all its A380s to active service after Covid), 10 with Korean Air, 10 with Lufthansa (was 14), 10 with Qantas (there were 12), 8 with Qatar Airways (was 10), 6 with Asiana, 4 with Etihad (there were 10) and 3 with All Nippon Airways.

It is not known how long, however, the A380s with their 4 engines and capacity well beyond 450 passengers will 'last'. Qatar Airways announced that they will exit its fleet by the end of 2025. The other companies have not expressed themselves and in fact. Emirates was the only one who promised long life to the king of the skies.

It is likely that, between now and the end of the decade, the opportunities to enjoy a flight in the exceptionally spacious cabin of the double-decker will become even fewer, except in the case that you fly with Emirates. In the summer season starting March 31, however, there will be no shortage of opportunities, flying from Europe and even Italy.

On both Rome and Milan, in fact, Emirates uses the giant of the skies: it does once a day over Fiumicino e twice a day on Malpensa, where One of the two flights then continues on to New York (JFK).

The Emirati airline is the only one to use the plane over our home airports. Europe uses it to and from Dubai on 15 other cities: Barcelona, Madrid, Nice (from June 1), Zurich, Vienna, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Birmingham, Glasgow (all daily connections), London Gatwick (2 flights per day), Munich (2 flights per day), Paris (3 per day), Manchester (3 per day), and London Heathrow (5 per day).

With British Airways you will fly From London Heathrow to Boston, Dallas, Johannesburg (2 flights per day), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Singapore, and Washington, D.C. (the latter city served with the A380 between May and October).

Lufthansa uses its ten A380s only from the Munich hub and to Boston, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Washington and Delhi (all daily connections).

There are then Non-European companies flying to our continent with Super Jumbo: with Singapore Airlines you can embark on it Twice a day from London Heathrow and once a day from Frankfurt.

With Qantas once a day from London Heathrow to Sydney (via Singapore); With Qatar Airways twice daily from London Heathrow to Doha; with Etihad twice daily from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi. Inside, of course, the A380s flying in Italy and Europe are not all the same. But all have at least three classes of service and some four.

Emirates deploys its A380s from Dubai to Italy and Europe in four different configurations: one four-class with 14 seats in First, 76 in Business, 56 in Premium Economy, 338 in Economy; and three three-class (14 in First, and 76 in Business for all, but seats in Economy are 426, 427 or 429).

 

With British you have at your disposal 14 seats in First, 97 in Business, 55 in Premium Economy and 303 in Economyy. With Lufthansa 8 seats in First, 78 in Business, 52 in Premium economy and 371 in Economy.

With Singapore Airlines 6 seats in First, 78 in Business, 44 in Premium Economy and 343 in Economyy. With Qantas seats in First are 14, 70 in Business, 60 in Premium Economy, and 341 in Economy.

Qatar Airways, on the other hand, has three classes on its A380s, which, however, are the only ones (along with some Boeing 777-300ERs) in the Doha-based carrier's fleet that have a First Class cabin: there are 517 seats on board, including 8 in First, 48 in Business and 461 in Economy.

The four A380s left with Etihad, finally, are noted for their presence on the edges of The Residence, A cabin that is unique in the world because it consists of a single mini-apartment with two separate rooms for day and night and a bathroom (with butler on hand).

Located at the front of the upper deck, The Residence has behind it 10 First Class suites and 70 Business seats, while on the main (lower) deck are 417 Economy seats.

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