Lufthansa is continuing to reactivate its Airbus A380 fleet

Lufthansa is continuing the process of reactivating its Airbus A380 wide-body aircraft fleet, as another double-decker jet was spotted leaving long-term storage in Spain recently. The third reactivated A380, registered D-AIML, made its first flight on April 21, 2023, leaving Teruel Airport (TEV) for Frankfurt (FRA) on flight LH9922, after spending almost two years on the ground. Lufthansa has already reactivated two A380s due to high passenger demand for air travel during the ongoing summer season and severe delays in new aircraft delivery.

The airline used to operate 14 A380s, but Planespotters.net data shows that it now has only nine double-deckers left in the fleet. Lufthansa plans to operate four A380s out of one of its two main home bases at Munich Airport (MUC) by the end of the year, and at least two are expected to return to active passenger service by the end of 2024. The airline has launched ticket sales for long-haul flights on two initial routes between Germany and the US, with flights to Boston and JFK airports expected to begin on June 1, 2023, and July 4, 2023, respectively.

Despite reactivating at least six A380s, Lufthansa does not plan to include the type in its long-term fleet. Instead, the carrier is considering operating other wide-body airliners, such as Airbus A350-1000s, A350-900s, and A330-300s, as well as Boeing 747-8s, 777-300s, 777X-9s, 787-9s, and 777Fs.