Etihad Airways has flown its last stored Airbus A380, A6-APB, out of Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport in France and back towards Abu Dhabi for heavy maintenance before returning to passenger service. The aircraft had been parked in storage since December 2020 and left on 17 September after roughly 6.5 years on the ground, with the ferry flight marking the end of the airline’s final long-term stored A380.
The jet is due to undergo further maintenance in the UAE before re-entering commercial operations. Etihad has been restoring its A380 fleet as premium-travel demand recovers, making the type available again across its long-haul network. A6-APB is the last remaining stored example from the original fleet, following the scrapping of another Etihad A380 in 2025.
The move also underlines the selective return of very large twin-aisle aircraft when route demand and premium cabin mix support the higher operating cost. Etihad’s A380 product includes its upper-deck premium cabins and The Residence, which remain central to its long-haul proposition.