BA A380 parked at MEL (northern end) for some time? [No - a different EK daily]

[jaseb]

Unless I'm going crazy, I believe there's been a British Airways A380 parked at the northern end of a runway at MEL since (at least) September.

Does anyone know why?

 

[serfty]

Are you sure it's BA? There's regularly Emirate's A380's parked around the place during the day these days.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Unless I'm going crazy, I believe there's been a British Airways A380 parked at the northern end of a runway at MEL since (at least) September.

Does anyone know why?

Unless I’m going crazy, it was an Emirates 380 this morning. They park them there during the day to free up bays.

 

[drron]

Definitely an EK 380 on saturday.

 

[jase05]

Have definitely seen the EK 380 sitting out on its lonesome many times

 

[AisleSeat]

Google Maps

 

[leadman]

The EK 380 has been sitting out by itself, surrounded by those orange cones since at least 22 Dec when i flew back in. I did four flights out of MEL in late Dec/Jan and as far i can tell it had not moved.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Google Maps

That’s not it. That’s the normal stand off bays just beside the international terminal. The one the OP is asking about is at the very northern end of the airport on taxiway A.

 

[leadman]

yes, its sitting by its lonesome self.......

 

[dajop]

Up to a couple of days ago, there was only 50 minutes a day when EK did not have an A380 on the ground at MEL. In fact, EK had two A380's in MEL for 17 hrs a day! They need to find somewhere to park them., and in recent history I almost always recall EK A380 parked at north end of the airport.

EK 408/9 arrives at 23:20 departs at 06:00
EK 404/5 arrives at 00:20 departs at 18:45
EK 406/7 arrives at 06:30 departs at 22:30

EK 404/5 has this week switched back to 777 , so you will now see a 777 at the airport for 18 hrs instead...

 

[Himeno]

Unless I'm going crazy, I believe there's been a British Airways A380 parked at the northern end of a runway at MEL since (at least) September.

Does anyone know why?

BA have 12 A380s. They are all fully used for flights from LHR to BOS, ORD, HKG, JNB, LAX, MIA, SFO, SIN and YVR. They do maintenance at LHR and MNL. They have no reason to send one to a port they don't normally fly to, and have it sit there for months. The airlines that generally fly A380s to MEL are QF, EK, SQ, EY and QR.

 

[woodborer]

The EK 380 has been sitting out by itself, surrounded by those orange cones since at least 22 Dec when i flew back in. I did four flights out of MEL in late Dec/Jan and as far i can tell it had not moved.

It's not the same A380 every day.

 

[jaseb]

Thanks for the answers guys, you're all correct - it was an EK plane I saw and likely hasn't been the same one each time!

 

[AIRwin]

Another BA A380 is parked at BNE...

 

[Carrots]

BA A380? Maybe it was in VIP mode as Andy Murray's private charter .

 

[DC3]

Should have gone to Specsavers?

 

[mannej]

I could have sworn there was a similar thread not to long ago but can't seem to find it.

 

[TheInsider]

Thanks for the answers guys, you're all correct - it was an EK plane I saw and likely hasn't been the same one each time!

Not likely. It's a certainty, it's a different A380 each day!

 

[Scott K]

Google Maps

View attachment 150394

Apple maps has a fantastic 3D rotatable view of the airplane.

 

[Scott K]

Not likely. It's a certainty, it's a different A380 each day!

Sure is! And before I took off on a flight last December, there were even two parked at different locations adjacent to the apron.