Air France Lands Final A380 Flight

FlyerTalk Forum ^ | June 26 2020 | Joe Cortez

[texas booster]

The final Airbus A380 in the Air France fleet is grounded at Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), after taking one last celebration flight to the Mediterranean Sea and back. In a tribute online, the French flag carrier announced the final departure and landing for the superjumbo jet on June 26, 2020.

The legendary #A380 bids a final farewell and makes its last #AirFrance flight today, Friday 26 june. 🛬Bye-bye big bird! #AF380 pic.twitter.com/LNkkqX3htU

— Air France (@airfrance) June 26, 2020

Originally scheduled for retirement by 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Air France-KLM to reconsider their plans. After flights around the world were stopped and the demand for travel plummeted, the airline announced on May 20, 2020 they would immediately begin phasing out all A380 operations.

...

The final Air France A380 flight matches another marker of the aircraft’s demise. Earlier in June 2020, the last A380 components built near Saint-Nazare, France departed on its final convoy for Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse, France.

Although Air France is ending their A380 operations, the program as a whole is expected to live on for years. According to Airbus’ sale sheet, the manufacturer has outstanding deliveries due to All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Emirates.

[Demiurge2]

These are great fun to fly in. Sitting near the rear on takeoff and landing, you can literally see the fuselage twisting slightly.

[Secret Agent Man]

“slightly less super jumbo”

[Secret Agent Man]

Seeing the fuselage shift would take it out of the ‘great fun’ category, for me.

[cymbeline]

“Good nice plane but one which was not the right fit for the market”

Good summation. I read also that the 747 (with that bulge at the top of the front of the plane) had the ability to hinge up the front end of the fuselage, so it was a good freight plane as well as a passenger plane.

[SamAdams76]

Up until a few months ago, I had A380s flying over my house all the time at around 10,000 feet. (I live under the international flight path out of JFK.)

Skies over my home have been much quieter since February.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

My last flight on an A380 was for work last year - Air France business-class upper deck from Paris back to San Francisco. Great plane, much more quiet than the 747. I’ll miss both of the super-jumbos.

[Gay State Conservative]

Yup,these days the 747 is still used very widely as a freighter.

[Doctor DNA]

I see em stuck on top of decommissioned rusty windmills.

[Peter W. Kessler]

I flew from Brussels to JFK on a 380. Spent some extra bucks for a slightly larger space; was on the top floor.

It was amazing. The jetway is two stories. I took an escalator to the top floor!

Years ago, my wife and I flew from Chicago to Newark on a 747. There were only 66 passengers. I went to the back of the plane for a cigarette. It was a long walk.

[Gay State Conservative]

Last September I went down to South Boston which,depending on wind direction,is at the very end of the landing flight path for Logan.At that time Emirates was flying the A380 between Boston and Dubai and on that day I was able to catch one on video flying directly over me at about 200 feet. I've seen the same thing many times with 747s but never the A380. A real thrill!

[SamAdams76]

I used to do the same things when I lived up that way. Castle Island in Southie but also another favorite spot was across the harbor in Winthrop, I think it was called Point Shirley or Coughlin Park.

[riverdawg]

Apparently, a few 727s are still used as freight carriers and as charter or government airplanes. The last scheduled passenger flight on a 727 was last year in Iran.

[katana]

Please understand that everyone has opinions, but "Legendary"? That is a joke. Boeing 707 is a legend. The B-747, "Queen of the Sky", is a legend. DC-3's / C-47's still flying into dirt fields in Africa and Pan American Clippers of the 1930's are legends. The A380 is/was a giant business error.

I flew on one once, Singapore to Sidney, when SQ was one of, maybe THE, first airline to put it into service. Interesting experience. Business class on upper deck in a weirdly wide (est. 30") and impossible-to-be-comfortable-in seat. Even with Singapore Air's as usual fantastic service and staff I was not impressed.

Previously, before they went into service, saw one in Airbus colors flying above AB's home base in Toulouse. THAT was impressive. It looked like a Manhattan skyscraper with wings. Airbus went for capacity and Boeing went for range and economy. It's now obvious who won that bet.

[Carriage Hill]

It’s a freaking aircraft carrier with wings!

[Rummyfan]

Wow! Not a very long life of service for this jumbo. When you think of the capital it must have taken to design and build this, it must be considered a colossal failure. I flew on one once.... two separate jetways to facilitate boarding. And a feeling of being packed in like a sardine in coach. Service was problematic as the stewards / stewardesses were just overwhelmed by the numbers of passengers. I did like the video from the tail-mounted camera that you could call up on your screen. Neat during final approach and landing....

[central_va]

The A380 will live on as a cargo plane for a long time.

[Gay State Conservative]

I've read...or think I've read...that the A380 cannot be converted to cargo because of some basic design characteristic.The 747 has been developed in a cargo configuration and its nose lifts up in a way similar to what at least one military cargo plane does.That's how they can carry tanks and helicopters.

[SuperLuminal]

"I’ll miss both of the super-jumbos."

At least for the 747, you can get a job in the freight industry and fly in them for ever... They are every where...

[Gay State Conservative]

Yup,Castle Island...

[Bayard]

747 may actually outlive the entire service life of the A380.

Dang.