BA bucks European trend with plans to return A380 to service

British Airways intends to return its Airbus A380s to service, making it an exception to a trend away from operating the four-engined superjumbo among its European peers. BA CE Sean Doyle explained that the A380 “works very well in a number of larger markets”. The type is therefore “an important part of our fleet, and at the minute our plans are to obviously fly [it again],” he says, without discussing a timeline for its return. Pre-crisis, the Oneworld operator’s 12 A380s – which are all currently in storage – had been deployed to destinations including Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Singapore. Elsewhere in Europe, Air France has said it will not return its A380s to service, while Lufthansa has all-but-confirmed that it will follow suit. Further afield, reports suggest that Etihad Airways is the latest carrier to cast doubt on the A380 being seen in its livery again.<br/>