Etihad's last stored A380 leaves France for Abu Dhabi

Etihad Airways' last Airbus A380 held in storage since the COVID-19 pandemic is on its way back to Abu Dhabi, according to the airline's aircraft tracking data. The 12-year-old superjumbo, registered A6-APB, left Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport in southern France shortly after 09:30 local time on September 17, 2026, bound for Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport.

The aircraft had been parked in France for more than five years. Its return follows roughly eight months of preparation work by TARMAC Aerosave, an aircraft storage and maintenance specialist based at the airfield.

Once it reaches Abu Dhabi, further heavy maintenance is planned before the A380 is cleared to fly passengers again. A6-APB was handed over to Etihad in 2015 and was pulled from service in 2020, making the flight to Tarbes that December.

Etihad grounded all ten of its A380s when the pandemic shut down international travel. The carrier initially had no plan to bring the double-deckers back, but demand for long-haul flying revived the programme. A second aircraft, A6-APC, arrived home in January 2026 and was flying again by June 5, 2026, according to fleet records.

Earlier jets left storage sooner. A6-APG came back in March 2023, A6-API followed in May 2023, and A6-APH departed Tarbes in June 2023. A tenth airframe, A6-APA, was scrapped in 2025. With A6-APB's return, all nine remaining Etihad A380s will be active.