British Airways Airbus A380-800
Picture 1 taken by @londonaviation_747 and picture 2 taken by various sources via @airline_kitty on Twitter
On the 15th of April, British Airways Airbus A380-800 damaged a taxiway in Chateauroux Airport, France. Upon arrival, the aircraft registered G-XLED was being marshalled into position alongside the other British Airways Airbus A380s. However, the large aircraft rolled onto the outside of the taxiway. The marshaller believed that this area would be able to withstand the weight of this giant, however, this was incorrect. It is believed that the damage was caused by the nose gear as it tried to park at an angle. It appears to have got stuck and was able to get out again. This hasn't been confirmed to date but the airport's General Manager stated that the damage will be repaired within a week.
The A380 operated flight BA9150 from London Heathrow (LHR/EGGL) to Chateauroux Centre Marsel Dassult Airport. (CHR/LFLX). The airport was previously used as a training base for British Airways however, it has now become a long term storage unit for three-quarters of the British Airways' Airbus A380 fleet. The airline has stored their entire A380 fleet bar one for the time being. This aircraft is undergoing maintenance in Manila and hopefully will be returning with the rest of the fleet soon.
With many airline's retiring their A380 fleet entirely, British Airways are keeping some of these huge aircraft in service. At the moment, they are being used for repatriation flights only as their large capacity isn't needed for other operations.
For more information on the first Airbus A380s stored in Chateauroux, click here!
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