Singapore Airlines (SIA) will shift four Airbus A380s to long-term storage at Alice Springs airport in central Australia.
The first of four double-deckers arrived on 26 April, according to a Facebook post by Alice Springs airport; the jets will be stored at Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage.
On 23 March, SIA announced that it would ground 138 of 147 aircraft - including 19 A380s - owing to the collapse in passenger demand stemming from the coronavirus crisis.
The majority of SIA’s fleet is stored at Singapore’s Changi airport, alongside aircraft from its Silkair and Scoot units.
The dry, desert conditions of Alice Springs are a better for storing aircraft than the humid, tropical environment of Southeast Asia.
According to Cirium fleets data, just two of the 66 A380s operated by Asia-Pacific airlines are in service. These aircraft are operated by China Southern Airlines.
The collapse in air travel demand and the uncertainty about the industry’s recovery could accelerate the retirement of larger types such as the A380 and Boeing 747-400.
