In face of the crisis, some decisions and changes are introduced unexpectedly and ahead of initial plans. This is the case of Airbus A380 fleet operated by Air France.

The airline has announced that nine A380 planes will remain grounded due to the reduced demand and will no longer perform commercial flights for the carrier.

Initially, the plan was to phase out world’s biggest passenger jets by 2022. However, impacts of the crisis dictate otherwise.

In the context of the current #COVID19 crisis and its impact on anticipated activity levels, the #AirFranceKLM Group announces the definitive end of #AirFrance Airbus #A380 operations, initially scheduled by the end of 2022.
More details 👉 https://t.co/wL4EsUNPpY pic.twitter.com/ZY0YWR8nD3

— Air France-KLM Group (@AirFranceKLM) May 20, 2020

All Airbus A380s operated by Air France has been grounded on 16 March, following deteriorating demand and emerging travel restrictions.

“Initially scheduled by the end of 2022, the phase-out of Airbus A380 fleet fits in the Air France-KLM Group fleet simplification strategy of making the fleet more competitive, by continuing its transformation with more modern, high-performance aircraft with a significantly reduced environmental footprint,” said Air France-KLM Group in a statement.

According to the Group, “the global impact of the Airbus A380 phase-out write down is estimated at 500 million euros and will be booked in the second quarter of 2020 as a non-current cost/expenses”.

The decommissioned A380s will be replaced by newer and more efficient aircraft, including Airbus A350 and Boeing 787.