It took a move to Australia from the US, a passport itching for some stamps and a steady stream of family Christmases back home before I boarded one of Airbus’s double-decker behemoths a decade ago. Since its sensational commercial launch in 2007, the A380 has become a ubiquitous travel companion to many Australians, awed to see a twin set of stairs leading to a mysterious upper deck. Even for a nation that is used to long-haul flights, stepping onboard makes you feel a bit like Jonah, riding inside a flying whale at 35,000 feet.
For those living under the flight path in Sydney, its quad engines are known as conversation-stoppers or TV-pausers as the superjumbo roars in and out of town. And how do I hitch a ride? But those days are numbered after Qantas said it would start retiring its A380s in 2028, four years ahead of schedule, due to high maintenance costs and a new fleet of next-gen jets ready for some gate space.
Plane nerds collect airlines and aircraft like Pokémon cards, and while I’m more of a semi-regular traveller than a frequent flyer, I’ve still flown a solid 500,000 miles over the last 10 years. And the A380 has always felt like a treat, with the thrill knowing there’s an entire floor of seating above or below you. Qantas flew its first A380 in 2008, hailed at the time as a landmark moment for the national carrier.
The jet was met in Los Angeles by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, with the one-time Danny Zuko and longtime pilot saying at the time it was “just an awesome plane”. And for a long time, that rang true: quiet cabins, windows that feel more like portholes and the vibe that you’re someone, going somewhere. A ride on an A380 harkened back to a bygone era of travel that was more adventurous than onerous.
Most of us, myself included, are probably booking sale fares on the cheapest-but-nicest airline we can afford, despite the glitz and glam of business cabins that seem to dominate my Instagram algorithm (and the entire top floor of A380s in some airlines’ configurations). But the A380 has long remained the economy aircraft of choice. The planes aren’t just big, they feel big.
If you’re going to be trapped in a tin can for 15 hours, it’s nice to feel like you have room to breathe something other than your neighbour’s air. One mother of young children tells me she has spent many, many hours in the roomy back section of the plane, entertaining her toddlers away from sleeping fellow passengers. Despite all this, the A380 – notably Qantas’s – have had some ageing issues, and their retirement seems like it’s coming at a good time.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
