A380’s could soon be back in South African skies by end of October
British Airways has begun tentatively scheduling in at least some of its A380s for service over the winter season. Routing information suggests at least six A380s could be in operation from October 25th, with four on transatlantic services to the US, and a pair flying down to Johannesburg.
The A380 is hoping to make a return to South Africa from October 25th. Once a day, an A380 will fly down from London Heathrow to Johannesburg, a trip that lasts just slightly longer than 11 hours.
Flights are booked in both directions, leaving London Heathrow (LHR) at 21:10 for a 10:15 arrival into OR Tambo (JNB) the next day, and leaving (JNB) at 22:15 for a 07:35 arrival back to LHR.
Based on Google Flights prices, a two week trip in early November can be snagged for as little as £420 for a basic economy ticket. This means no seat selection and only one free carry on. For £70 more, a standard economy seat gives you a checked in bag.
First class is not being offered for sale at the moment.
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Bumping up the cost to just over £1,000 gets you a premium economy seat, which includes two checked bags, more legroom and a seat in the separate cabin. Business class comes in at just over £2,400 and comes with all the trimmings of business. This includes a dedicated check-in area, a fully flat bed, and two checked-in bags.
Up to 50% of the BA Airbus A380 fleet could be back.
While these schedules are subject to change, as always, it’s positive news for the Airbus A380.
While many airlines are retiring the A380 or parking them long term, British Airways has always remained optimistic about the type’s return to its fleet. With regular maintenance of the A380 fleet throughout the grounding due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems as if British Airways has always planned for an early return of its aircraft.
If the A380 does indeed make a return to these routes in October, it would require six of the airline’s 12 A380s to run the services. With long flight times and a daily rotation promised, each route would require at least two A380s to be in service. This would see 50% of the A380 fleet back in the skies by the end of next month.
British Airways is proceeding with caution and the probability of the aircraft being swapped out still remains high.
British Airways will update the industry on dates and aircraft as soon as the lifting of restrictions is confirmed.
