The parts of the last Airbus A380 superjumbo left the factory of Montoir-de-Bretagne, in western France, for the outskirts of Toulouse where the final assembly will take place. The delivery of the aircraft should take place in 2021.
L’#A380 tire sa révérence. Nous ne pouvons nous empêcher d’avoir une petite larme en sachant que les tout derniers tronçons de l’A380 quitteront les ateliers d’#Airbus #SaintNazaire cet après-midi. Mais l’aventure #Airbus continue avec l’#A320Neo et les visites reviennent bientôt pic.twitter.com/Ny0rkoSTxd
— Saint-Nazaire Renversante (@VisitStNazaire) June 5, 2020
On their way, the gigantic fuselage sections will travel by land, sea, and river, in order to cross the 500 kilometers that separate the factory of Montoir-de-Bretagne, in Loire Atlantique, to the Airbus factory in Blagnac, Haute-Garonne.
Dernier embarquement @nantesport pour l’A380 @Airbus pic.twitter.com/eWtFFpXXZx
— NantesStNazairePort (@nantesport) June 5, 2020
On June 5, 2020, the 9.50-meter high and 8-meter wide nose of the plane and part of the middle section left by land to reach the harbor of Saint Nazaire, where they were loaded on a special boat that transported them to Pauillac, near Bordeaux. From there, they will go up the Gironde river on a barge to the city of Langon, where they will slowly continue by road to their final destination in Blagnac. They are expected to reach the Airbus factory on June 25, 2020.
À 10h00 départ du Navire Roulier Ville de Bordeaux de #SaintNazaire pour le port de.. #Bordeaux avec les derniers tronçons A380
— Guillaume Dalmard (@G_dalmard) June 8, 2020
Ce navire fut à l’origine de cette formidable aventure logistique il y a maintenant 15 ans! #Airbus #A380 #OnBoard #GoodByeSaintNazaire #Snif pic.twitter.com/a1OIsf1zFV
The last aircraft will be assembled and delivered in 2021. Emirates, the aircraft’s biggest operator, is also the last customer with deliveries still pending.
Since Airbus announced the end of the program on February 14, 2019, the superjumbo saw its retirement accelerated by the coronavirus crisis. Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA) and Air France retired their A380 fleet permanently. With 20% to 25% more fuel per seat than the latest generation long-haul aircraft, the near-future of the superjumbo is compromised.