VIDEO - A380 returns

Civil aviation has overcome the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. Regardless of the climate debate, airlines are mobilizing all their aircraft again. Even the A380s, those giant four-engine planes, are making a comeback at Lufthansa, which is a huge challenge for mechanics and pilots. 

A few days after Lufthansa decided to reactivate part of its A380 fleet, a violent hailstorm hit these very large aircraft parked in Spain, damaging the aircraft's bodywork and windows. Despite this damage, four aircraft should be back in service in June 2023. This is a colossal project, both technically and organizationally. Most of the A380 pilots have been assigned to other types of aircraft or have taken early retirement. It is now planned to train 90 Lufthansa pilots on the A380. Once the first maintenance work has been completed, the aircraft will be flown to Manila, where 4,000 man-hours will be needed to refurbish the cabins. While many passengers are looking forward to the second life of this comfortable giant of the air, the mechanics, engineers and pilots are faced with the challenge of getting the world's largest aircraft flying safely again.