Respite for A380 as Portuguese leasing firm HiFly acquires jet from Germany’s Doric

PARIS (Reuters) – An Airbus A380 jet returned by Singapore Airlines has found a home with Portuguese leasing firm HiFly, marking a respite for Europe’s slow-selling superjumbo after the first two second-hand aircraft looked set to be broken up for parts.

HiFly and the plane’s owner Doric Aviation formalized the deal in time for this month’s Farnborough Airshow, where Airbus and investors in the world’s largest airliner will be striving to demonstrate that it has a future, industry sources said.

Doric was not immediately available for comment.

Airbus and HiFly announced that the leasing firm had received an A380 but did not say where it had originated.

The deal comes weeks after German investment company Dr. Peters said it would strip two A380s for parts after failing to find an airline willing to keep them flying.

It has said the same fate may await two more A380s, though industry sources say it is trying to negotiate a deal with an Asian airline to spare those jets from the scrapyard, too.

Together with the plane remarketed by Doric Aviation, these represent the first five aircraft deployed by Singapore Airlines, which gave the double-decker its debut in 2007.

Singapore Airlines opted not to renew the 10-year lease on those aircraft, though it has also ordered some new planes.