Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International) plans to restore a pair of stored A380-800s to service, raising to nine the number of active double-deckers in its fleet.

Chief revenue and commercial officer Arik De told reporters in Hamburg on July 25 that the Gulf carrier was considering bringing two of its mothballed A380s back into service, the UAE newspaper The National reported. “We want more A380s back, but we don't want to bring them if they don't bring us money,” he said.

According to subsequent media reports, A6-APC (msn 176) and A6-APB (msn 170) are tipped to return to service in June 2026 and January 2027, respectively. ADS-B data shows both jets are currently parked at Tarbes. A third unit, A6-APA (msn 166), is being parted out at Teruel. The airline did not immediately respond to queries from ch-aviation on the matter.

ch-aviation data shows the remaining seven of Etihad's ten-strong A380 fleet are currently active. The airline parked the quadjets during the Covid-19 pandemic but has gradually returned them to service.

The decision is in line with the carrier's ambitious growth plans. At a July 23 briefing, CEO Antonoaldo Neves told reporters the airline is on track to carry 21.5 million passengers in 2025, more than double the number for 2022. To help it meet that target, Etihad expects to receive 18 new aircraft by the end of of the year.

Including the seven A380s, the airline's fleet currently comprises 112 aircraft, namely fifteen A320-200s, one A320-200N, nine A321-200s, four A321-200Ns, two A321-200NX, one A321-200NX(LR), which it took delivery of last week, two wet-leased A330-200s, seven A350-1000s, one B747-400FSCD, five B777-200Fs, nine B777-300ERs, ten B787-10s, and thirty-six B787-9s.

Along with twenty-eight B787 and B777X aircraft ordered during US president Donald Trump's May 2025 visit to the Middle East, Etihad expects to take delivery of an additional 94 aircraft, including twenty A321-200NX(LR)s, thirteen A350-1000s, ten A350Fs, eight B777-8s, seventeen B777-9s, twenty B787-10s, and eight B787-9s.