AirFrance Retires First Airbus A380 Super-Jumbo

Following last year’s announcement that just 12 years after it entered commercial service Airbus would end production of its flagship super-jumbo, AirFrance retired it’s first A380 to Ireland West Airport in Knock. 

With a capacity for 868 passengers, the Airbus A380 has become an iconic 21st century aircraft. Airbus said it had made the “painful” decision after struggling to sell the world’s largest passenger jet and after Emirates chose to slash its A380 orderbook by around a quarter. It took off from Germany and will be parked and stored at Ireland West Airport where it will be disassembled.

Deliveries of the iconic double-decker will cease in 2021 – however, it is likely to remain in service and draw plane-spotters to airports for years to come.

Eirtrade Aviation Limited, the global technical assets services and trading company took delivery the aircraft at its facility at Ireland West Airport on Thursday February 20th, 2020. This is the largest passenger aircraft to ever land at Ireland West Airport.

The Airbus A380 which is the largest passenger aircraft currently flying worldwide, with a capacity for 868 passengers, will be parked and stored at Eirtrade’s facility at Ireland West Airport.

Eirtrade, as part of its ongoing business at the airport, has completed similar projects on the Boeing 737, 757 series aircraft and Airbus A320 families which has proven their capabilities in the area of complex disassembly for an international customer base. It is expected that this will lead to further similar projects in the near term for the facility at Ireland West Airport.

This is also a significant development for Ireland West Airport as it recently completed the rehabilitation and overlay of the main Runway and has received zoning approval for a Strategic Development Zone for the land bank in and around the airport.

The Airport Board are continuing discussions with Government and its stakeholders in regard to the construction of a large hangar facility that would support the further development of aircraft disassembly, repair and maintenance at the airport which in turn would lead to the creation of an aviation hub and significant job creation in the North West of Ireland on the Atlantic