Reuters
- Singapore Airlines is set to fly the shortest Airbus A380 flight in service from Singapore to Malaysia.
- British Airways will use its A380s on short-haul flights from London to Frankfurt and Madrid come November 8.
- The short routes are due to operational requirements to get crews retrained on the aircraft.
Singapore Airlines is set to operate the shortest Airbus A380 flight in service on a mere 60-minute hop between Singapore and Malaysia.
While the A380 double-decker jet is designed for long-haul travel, Singapore Airlines has taken a less popular approach for operating the superjumbo. As of November 2021, the carrier with launch the A380 on a route from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, making it the shortest A380 flight in service, according to CNN. The distance between the two cities is only 161 nautical miles (185 miles) and the flight time is just an hour-long, meaning the jet will spend more time taking off and landing than it will be cruising.
According to CNN, the A380 will operate on certain flights from Singapore to Malaysia beginning in November. The aircraft will fly the morning flight thrice weekly from November 4 to December 2 while the evening flight will see the superjumbo four times weekly from November 5 to December 3. The carrier will use the Boeing 737 on other frequencies according to its website. A Singapore spokesperson told CNN that the route was scheduled for "operational requirements."
The airline also recently announced plans to fly A380 daily from Singapore to London beginning in November. The route will be part of the company's "vaccinated travel lane" concept that allows travelers to have quarantine-free entry into Singapore, according to Executive Traveler.
Singapore isn't the only airline flying the A380 on short hops. According to Heads for Points, British Airways is set to fly its A380s on short-haul flights from London to Frankfurt and Madrid come November 8. The flights will be for "crew familiarization" to ensure pilots and flight attendants get re-acquainted with the plane after 18 months apart.
Singapore's overnight reintroduction of the A380 is just the start of the return of the iconic double-decker. The pandemic grounded most of the world's superjumbos, with many going to the graveyard for good. However, a handful of airlines have opted to keep the jet in service. According to Executive Traveler, Qatar Airways is returning its A380 on routes from Doha to Paris and London beginning December 15, while BA is targeting Miami, Dubai, and Los Angeles for its A380 long-haul operation.