Many travelers thought the beloved Airbus A380 was yet another tragic casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the world’s largest commercial airliner has some life in it yet — and 1 Middle Eastern airline is actually bringing some of its superjumbo jets back into service as travel demand continues to rebound.
Let’s take a closer look at the details of this exciting development.
Qatar To Bring 4 A380s Back Into Service
Qatar Airways‘ entire fleet of A380s was grounded due to the pandemic, and the Doha-based airline later announced that it would retire the fleet entirely. Other airlines, including Etihad Airways — famous for its Apartment and Residence suites — also flew A380s but grounded them because of the pandemic.
Now, however, Qatar is bringing several A380s back into service on flights to destinations in Europe and Asia.
“We will have 8 (A380s) reactivated,” Qatar Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori told Executive Traveller. “We will look at different combinations between Europe and Asia,” Antinori continued.
Qatar will begin flying the A380 out of Sydney (SYD) starting June 1, 2022. A one-way ticket between Doha (DOH) and Sydney will set you back 105,000 Avios in first class, while a business class seat will cost you 70,000 Avios each way. An economy seat requires 35,000 Avios each way.
Qatar Airways A380 First Class Seat. Image Credit: Greg StoneLast fall, Qatar brought back a handful of A380 jets, and those have been operating flights between Doha and London-Heathrow (LHR) and Paris (CDG).
Qatar’s A380s seat a whopping 517 passengers, with 8 seats in first class, 48 in business class, and 461 in economy. The massive aircraft has 2 full decks — first and business class (and a handful of economy seats) take up the upper deck.
Qatar’s first class product on the A380 doesn’t get as much attention as the famed Qsuites found on Qatar’s other jets. But that’s not to say the first class experience isn’t special — the double-decker still offers seats in a 1-2-1 configuration as well as a full bar for first and business class passengers.
Hot Tip: Qatar Airways recently replaced its Qmiles program with the Avios program, opening up new redemption opportunities.
Final Thoughts
Travel has rebounded in a big way, even as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Travelers who love the massive Airbus A380 should be pleased that they’ll have another option for flying this special plane. And, of course, you’ll be treated to Qatar’s legendary inflight service, no matter which cabin you fly.
Featured Image Credit:
Greg Stone
