TechnologyAlmost three years after its last flight, the A380 with registration F-WWOW took off again from Toulouse, France, Airbus’ headquarters, on March 14
The aircraft is the first prototype of the largest passenger aircraft in history and has not completed a flight since May 2022, when it tested the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
According to FlightRadar24, the A380 MSN001 remained in the air for 3 hours and 18 minutes over the south of France.
The testbed A380 has been prepared in recent months to test new systems that will soon be certified for later installation in the active fleet, the company told Flight Global.
Airbus ended production of the A380 in December 2021 with 251 aircraft completed. Around 30 of them were stored and a large part dismantled.
The lack of a suitable replacement has motivated some operators to invest in upgrades to keep the double-decker widebody in operation for longer, as is the case with Emirates Airline.
The A380 F-WWOW was introduced in January 2005 and completed its maiden flight on April 27 of that year. It is equipped with Rolls Royce Tren 970 engines, one of two turbofans certified for the aircraft.
Airbus had previously announced that the prototype would be adapted to carry a turbofan on the side of the fuselage that would test hydrogen as a fuel.
However, the manufacturer postponed plans for the ZEROe project, which envisages a new line of commercial aircraft powered by the sustainable fuel.
