Etihad CEO Tony Douglas sparked some hope for the future of the A380 at his airline as travel demand rebounds sharply. However, he noted that even if the superjumbo returned, its time would be short-lived. Eventually, twin-engine planes will rule the Etihad fleet, and the A380 will be gone.
Hope remains
Unlike some carriers, Etihad has long taken a “never say never” approach to the Airbus A380. In a recent interview with Business Insider, CEO Tony Douglas reiterated this view about the aircraft’s future. In particular, he noted that while the superjumbo isn’t on the carrier’s map right now, the correct market conditions could mark its return.
The topic has become even more pressing as travel demand quickly bounces back. Douglas notes that demand in the last two months is “going off like a fire hydrant.” Given this, could there be a case for the A380 and its 496 seats to return?
While the current demand might support the superjumbo coming out of the desert, it’s a bit early to say. Douglas quickly added,
“For the last 18 months, [the A380s are] out because the economics don’t work. The market has only really come back in the past two months, it’s probably too early to say.”
Not easy
Despite the improvement in travel demand, Tony Douglas’s view has changed little since he spoke to Simple Flying in late August. At the time, he made it clear that he refuses to rule the A380 out but added that Etihad isn’t a “registered charity,” meaning it won’t happen unless travel rebounds entirely soon.
This week he reiterated that whatever time the A380 has, if any, will be limited in Etihad’s fleet. Indeed the double-decker jet will only return if travel demand bounces back before the carrier has inducted more 787s and introduced the A350-1000. This leaves a limited opening for the superjumbo.
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It’s not hard to understand why Etihad prefers the A350 and 787 over the A380. As an airline looking to stem its losses and become more efficient, the value of these modern aircraft is unmatched. Indeed, Etihad has said it can operate 2.5 787 flights for every A380 one, providing it a much greater capacity boost as well.
Too many engines
While there is a slim chance of a brief period in 2022 that the A380 returns, don’t expect it to stick around. Etihad’s focus coming out of this pandemic will be to be as lean as possible, and as Douglas notes, the A380 just has two too many engines. He said,
“The simple reality is: anything with more than two engines simply doesn’t work. It hasn’t [worked] for almost half a generation now – and it certainly doesn’t anymore, because the cost of operation, the fuel burn, is simply no longer competitive or even close to being competitive.”
For now, enthusiasts will be hoping for one last chance to hop on the iconic superjumbo before Etihad retires its iteration, and with it so many unique products.
What do you think about Etihad’s decision on the A380? Have you ever flown the aircraft? Let us know in the comments!