Etihad Airways has brought back the last of its stored Airbus A380s, completing the return of nine of its ten superjumbos six years after the pandemic grounded them, according to aviation reports.

The final aircraft, registered A6-APB, reportedly left long-term storage at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport in France on September 17 and flew to Abu Dhabi. It had been stored there since December 3, 2020.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline stored all ten of its A380s after the pandemic brought global air travel to a halt in 2020 and at the time had no plans to bring them back. One aircraft, A6-APA, will not return and has been dismantled for parts.

The airline announced in December 2022 that it would bring the A380 back and resumed flights in July 2023 on the Abu Dhabi-London Heathrow route. The remaining aircraft have since returned to service gradually.

Another A380, A6-APC, arrived back in Abu Dhabi in January this year and re-entered service on June 5.

Aviation website Migflug reported that A6-APB still needs further heavy maintenance before it can carry paying passengers.

Strong demand for premium travel, limited airport slots, and delays in deliveries of newer widebody aircraft have helped extend the life of the four-engine jet, according to Flight Drama, a source for this report. Etihad did not immediately comment on the return of the final aircraft.

Source: Flight Drama, Migflug, Aviation A2Z