An Airbus A380 took flight again for the first time in nearly three years after being in storage. The 13-year-old superjumbo jet formerly belonged to Malaysia Airlines.
In 2022, the airline phased out its fleet of six A380s as part of a deal with Airbus, where the manufacturer would take them back. Three have been officially marked as retired, meaning they are likely to be scrapped, while the others are in long-term storage, per Cirium Fleet Analyzer data.
Originally registered as 9M-MNF, this aircraft was delivered new to the carrier in 2013. It had been parked in Kuala Lumpur since 2013.
Then, in December 2022, it was ferried to an aircraft storage facility at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport in France. The aircraft has remained there since, and has spent nearly half of its life in storage.
Flying Again
On Wednesday, the aircraft – now registered as 2-JAYN – took flight again from Tarbes to Abu Dhabi.
Limited information is available on the aircraft, with ownership data now showing under Airbus Financial Services.
According to Flightradar24, this aircraft will eventually serve as a testbed for Airbus. It is in Abu Dhabi for heavy maintenance work, likely at Etihad’s facility.
