Lufthansa’s first reactivated Airbus A380 aircraft returned to Munich Airport (MUC) on April 12, 2023 after a three-year hiatus.
The nine-year old aircraft was used by Lufthansa for its North American and Asian routes. It was then placed in storage at Teruel Airport (TRL), along with the airline’s 13 other A380s, after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In January 2023, the A380 aircraft, with registration D-AIMK, spent time at Lufthansa Technik’s site in Manila International Airport (MNL), where it received over 30 days of heavy maintenance and checks.
The aircraft received its final maintenance at Lufthansa Technik’s hub in Frankfurt before it left for MUC airport.
Flight LH9916 departed Frankfurt Airport (FRA) at 08:30 local time. The aircraft circled above Leipzig for around two hours before finally landing at Leipzig Airport (LEJ) at 11:12 local time.
After spending half an hour on the ground, the flight departed for MUC airport, where it arrived at about 12:30 local time.
According to Lufthansa, the A380 will resume its service to North America by June 2023, with daily flights from MUC airport to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) as its first route.
The A380 will then also be flying from MUC to New York’s John F Kennedy Airport (JFK) beginning July 4, 2023, in time for the US Independence Day.