COVID-19: the fatal blow to the A380?

In the late 1960s, the Boeing 747 revolutionised aviation, introducing the concept of the widebody aircraft and attempted, already back then, to alleviate the growing problem of airport congestion. Some 40 years later, the Airbus A380 was designed and built for the same purpose, only bigger.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and its expected effects on the long term prospect of the aviation industry, is challenging the very existence of this category of planes, the Very Large Aircraft (VLA). Can it survive?

For many airline CEOs around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t just another crisis for the industry. It is very different to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, to the months that followed 9/11 or any events that disrupted the growth of the aviation industry. This time, the sector is partly blamed for aiding, albeit unknowingly, the spread of the virus. This caused governments around the world to curtail flying to contain any further spread.

The impact has been profound for the industry and will remain so for years to come. It will not just be about vaccines or quarantines, but about reinstating passenger confidence that flying is safe. This means not only reinforcing that the aircraft itself is a safe place, but also that the destination is. This will take time, and until then, the industry will be experiencing a slow recovery, and…