Airline flies empty A380 to nowhere to keep its pilots certified

Airlines are taking extreme measures to survive the pandemic, with Asiana Airlines flying the world’s biggest commercial plane more than 20 times, going nowhere and carrying no passengers, just to keep trainee pilots certified. The empty Airbus SE A380 flew over South Korea for a few hours a day for three days in May to enable pilots of the 495-seat superjumbo to practice taking off and landing. The alternative -- a trip to Thailand to use a simulator owned by THAI -- was blocked because of travel bans, an Asiana spokesman said. “Takeoffs and landings of this plane cost a lot of money, and it’s money that needs to be used wisely, especially these days,” said Um Kyung-a, an analyst at Shinyoung Securities in Seoul. “Asiana is in a bind because it also can’t afford for its pilots to lose their licenses.” Asiana had another 135 pilots who didn’t have enough flying time on its six A380s, but it couldn’t afford to keep flying the empty jet. In the end, the country’s transport ministry extended the pilots’ flying credentials as a special exemption. Japan’s ANA, which operates two A380s, received a similar extension from Japan’s aviation authority. Most of the big A380 operators, like Asiana’s rival Korean Air Lines, have their own simulators. The ICAO has provided guidelines to state members on how to help pilots keep up their skills. Normally, pilots must have taken off and landed an aircraft at least three times within the previous 90 days to keep their license.<br/>