The First A380 gets put out to pasture

Flight Global via Flight Aware is reporting the very first A380 at Singapore Airlines (SIA) 9V-SKA has been parked since 10 June 2017.

SQ317 was its last commercial service between London Heathrow and Singapore. It’s now in a hanger at Changi where it is in “undergoing de-lease work before returning to the lessor”.

The plane made aviation history on 25 October 2007 travelling between Singapore and Sydney as the worlds first commercial A380 service. It was furbished with 12 first class suites (quite the innovation), 60 business, 36 premium and 333 in economy.

As an aside, it took me more than 10 years after that first flight (10 years and 10 days to be exact) to experience my first flight on an SIA flight, in a suite. Watch out for the trip reports on the two legs between London and Sydney

SIA will be retiring another 4 of those first round A380’s over the next 18 or so months. That first plane may well be destined to be havested for parts.

Singapore Airlines is about to send off 14 of its A380’s to be refitted with new seats, reducing suites form 12 to six, relocating them to the upper deck. SIA has also ordered another 5 A380’s to replace those that they are retiring. They are set to arrive between now and May 2018.