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Home » Air France » Air France A380 Decision Is Sad, But Smart
A380Air France

Air France A380 Decision Is Sad, But Smart

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 26, 2018November 14, 2023 19 Comments

a plane flying in the sky

Air France will gradually retire half of its A380 fleet, starting in 2019. The move is sad, but smart.

Air France currently operates 10 A380s. Five are owned, five are leased. All are tragically uncompetitive. By that, I mean that Air France has a business class product onboard that is extremely outdated (and not even lie-flat) and a first class seat that should be called business class. The first class seats are comfortable, but there is no privacy and they feel extremely outdated.

To update each aircraft will cost a whopping 45 million Euros! Furthermore, these planes are more expensive to operate than the 777-300ER and are more prone to technical issues. Thus, it is no surprise that Air France has decided that it will begin returning its leased A380s next year. All five A380s that are currently leased will be returned. Per LesEchos.fr, the five owned A380s will be retrofitted.

As much as I love the Queen of the Skies, the A380 is so sleek, so beautiful, and so quiet. I am really sad that Air France has struggled to make its A380 more successful. But I am happy that five aircraft will be re-configured with new and refreshed cabins. Unfortunately, that process will not start until 2020, so if you are a discerning traveler in business or first class, you are going to want to continue to avoid that aircraft.

CONCLUSION

With a €45,000,000 price tag to retrofit each A380, it is really no wonder that Air France will abandon half of its A380s. Any guesses as to who will buy/lease them?

(H/T: One Mile at a Time)

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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19 Comments

  1. Aaron Reply
    November 26, 2018 at 8:12 am

    Their First Class is still better than BA’s First, and their Business Class is less dense, and tight than BA’s Business.

    • Matthew Reply
      November 26, 2018 at 10:06 am

      BA’s first class is routinely referred to as the “best business class in the skies” but at least their actual business class has lie-flat beds, which are so much more important to me than a few extra inches of width.

      • Pa100 Reply
        June 20, 2020 at 11:09 am

        For you. I could care less about a lie flat seat. I am from the time of open cockpits for invited guests and superior food. Which BA never had. Additionally sitting backwards is an anathema for me and the partition is anti social. What is this obsession over flat beds?

  2. Brian Reply
    November 26, 2018 at 8:18 am

    Matthew, although I love reading the blog, I’m afraid I have to disagree with you on this post.

    In my opinion, there is no aircraft that has more novelty than the A380. Nope, the A350 and B787 just don’t cut it for me. I’m probably of the minority, but I would definitely choose angled lie flats over true lie flats if it is on an A380.

  3. Ken Reply
    November 26, 2018 at 8:23 am

    The A380 is a piece of junk. Only a company which receives constant EU subsidies would be able to make such a piece of junk and still be in business. Unlike Airbus, Boeing receives no subsidies whatsoever and they still beat the pants off of Airbus. This giant net has less range than a 747 and costs more to run than a 777 in fact the new 777 can flay from Europe to Australia without the customary refueling stop in Singapore. Win win win. It just goes to show, competence will always beat government hand outs.

    • JW Reply
      November 26, 2018 at 10:28 am

      Boeing employee spotted. Hey no need to share your thoughts, we know you appreciate your company’s products. Good for you.

    • Phil Duncan Reply
      November 26, 2018 at 12:07 pm

      Funny, according to Qantas who know a bit about non-stop Europe to Australia services the new 777 is not up to the job and they are looking at the A350 as the only sensible choice, just like the A350 used by SQ on the current longest flight in the world.

      A for A list and Airbus
      B for B list and Boeing

      If it’s a Boeing, I’m not going especially if there’s an A380 or A350 to choose from instead.

  4. Steve B Reply
    November 26, 2018 at 8:50 am

    What? The A380 isn’t the queen of the skies! It isn’t sleek. It isn’t beautiful. It is quiet though – at least you got that one right.

    • Steve B Reply
      November 26, 2018 at 8:51 am

      Yes, you are in the minority.

    • Karl Hungus Reply
      November 26, 2018 at 9:12 am

      Matt knows, the Queen is the 747. You might have misread that part. You’re right about the A380 though. It certainly is ugly.

    • Bijou Drains Reply
      November 26, 2018 at 9:14 am

      The A380 is far from sleek and quite ugly.

    • CB Reply
      November 26, 2018 at 9:16 am

      I think he was referring to 747 as Queen of the Skies, but also noting that he is fond of the A380

      • Matthew Reply
        November 26, 2018 at 9:19 am

        Correct

    • Matthew Reply
      November 26, 2018 at 10:08 am

      @Steve B: I was comparing the two. I still love the 747 more, but the nose of the 747-8 is so much noiser than upstairs on an A380.

      • Steve B Reply
        November 27, 2018 at 5:21 am

        Matthew, thanks for the reply. I realized too late what you were saying and wanted to correct or delete – but didn’t see the option? Agree the nose of the 747s is quite noisy. Still sticking with far from sleek and definitely ugly on the A380 though.

  5. Jim Reply
    November 26, 2018 at 9:05 am

    A380 is so sleek, so beautiful
    !!!
    You really need to go to specsavers

  6. Micalister Reply
    November 26, 2018 at 10:33 am

    The A380 is a flaming hot piece of political garbage that was introduced just as jumbo jets became unprofitable. Everytime I see that thing I think it looks like an oversized large-mouth bass with company colours. Air France is going down the tubes rn and the A380 is the main thing weighing it down. Get the A380 out of here and save Air France!

  7. Andy K Reply
    November 26, 2018 at 11:47 am

    Another nail in the coffin of the A380!

  8. Gerry Reply
    November 27, 2018 at 9:38 am

    45 million per aircraft very hard to justify. How will they recoup that expenditure.?

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