Malaysia Airlines is looking to sell its entire Airbus A380-800 fleet, joining the list of carriers who have phased out or are looking to phase out their superjumbos amid a global downturn in air travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a LinkedIn post on Thursday (July 15th), the airline said its subsidiary MAB Pesawat Sdn Bhd (MABP) is conducting an open tender for the sale of its Airbus A380 aircraft and/or its components.
Interested buyers are requested to send their proposals by 12 PM (Malaysia time, GMT +8) on August 12th, 2021.
Malaysia Airlines currently has six Airbus A380s in its fleet, delivered to the carrier in 2012 and 2013. The youngest aircraft, delivered on March 28th, 2013, is the 100th Airbus A380 ever built.
Last May, Malaysia Airlines Bhd group CEO Izham Ismail announced that the airline is looking to retire its Airbus A380s following the completion of its debt restructuring in March of 2021.
“We are cognizant of the challenges to sell this aeroplane, but we are still looking at ways and means to dispose of our 380 fleet. At the moment, the management is convinced that the 380 doesn’t fit the future plan,” Ismail said during a media briefing.
Ismail added that Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, is restrategizing to position its business as a global travel group and is looking to expand beyond the airline business.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, several airlines have made the decision to permanently retire their entire Airbus A380 fleet, including Air France, Hi Fly Malta, Thai Airways, and Lufthansa, while Etihad’s ten Airbus A380s remain grounded indefinitely.
Singapore Airlines announced the retirement of seven of its A380s in November of 2020. Qatar Airways, meanwhile, retired five of its ten Airbus A380s in January of 2021, with the remaining aircraft expected to exit the fleet no later than 2028.
Leave a comment