Etihad Airways has announced it will reintroduce its Airbus A380 fleet to help meet a surge in demand.
The UAE‘s national airline expects to return four of its superjumbos to the fleet in the summer of 2023, with plans to operate to London Heathrow.
It grounded the A380 in November 2020 as part of a leaner business model to mitigate the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on the aviation industry.
“It is wonderful to announce the return of this splendid aircraft,” said Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, chairman of Etihad Aviation Group.
“The A380’s reintroduction provides a further boost to Etihad’s capacity into the key UK market, with a knock-on effect for the wider GCC and Indian subcontinent that will bring more visitors to the city of Abu Dhabi.”
The return of the A380 will free up capacity for increased frequencies on existing routes and the launch of new destinations, the airline said in a statement.
The A380s’ return will be supported by the addition of five of their smaller A320 siblings.
Etihad is preparing the aircraft to fly again, and part of this preparation includes the recruitment and training of A380 teams, including pilots, cabin crew and technical ground staff.
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