Malaysia Airlines Airbus A380 leaves storage facility after nearly three years.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES AIRBUS A380-841 9M-MNF (MSN 081)

A former Malaysia Airlines Airbus A380, now re-registered as 2-JAYN, completed a ferry flight from Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport (LDE/LFBT) to Abu Dhabi (AUH/OMAA) on the 1st of October after nearly three years in storage. The six-hour, thirty-five-minute journey has sparked curiosity about the plane’s future, now under the ownership of Airbus Financial Services.

The double-decker jet was handed over to Malaysia Airlines in March 2013 as the 100th A380 built, marking a milestone for the aircraft. It still sports a special “100th A380” sticker on its fuselage. With fewer than 225 A380s produced before Airbus shut down the production line, this model remains a rare sight in commercial aviation.

Originally anticipated to be scrapped for parts due to low demand for used A380s, the aircraft’s recent reactivation and relocation hint at potential new plans. Before its transfer, the plane underwent a 2-hour, fifty-five-minute test flight in France on the 26th of September, likely to ensure airworthiness after its extended storage period.

The quadjet previously bore the registration 9M-MNF (MSN 114), but since leaving Malaysia Airlines, the jet has gone through multiple registrations, first as EI-HKF in March 2023 and then as 2-JAYN in March 2024, marking changes in ownership and preparation for its move. Its test registration was F-WWSG

The ferry flight to Abu Dhabi sparks industry curiosity. While two other former Malaysia Airlines A380s have been reactivated this year, their movements seem unrelated, heading to separate destinations. Speculation suggests roles like spare-parts support for active A380 fleets, but no official purpose has been revealed. Some reports hint at Etihad Airways possibly expanding its A380 fleet, though analysts consider this unlikely due to current market conditions. For now, the aircraft's future remains unclear, with Airbus offering no comment on its plans.

9M-MNF was one of six Airbus A380s that flew for Malaysia Airlines between 2012 and 2022. All of these quadjets ended up in storage in France after their withdrawal by the one world member in favor of smaller Airbus widebody twinjets such as the A330neo and A350.