Mystery surrounds recently stored Airbus A380 being readied to enter service
An Airbus A380-800 that was one of the first superjumbos to be delivered to launch customer Singapore Airlines in 2008 has been released from storage after five years.
The A380, registered 9H-MIP or MSN006, was previously operated by Hi Fly Malta and famously showcased the eye-catching ‘Save the Coral Reefs’ livery between 2018 and 2020.
However, in 2020 the aircraft, owned by Doric Asset Finance, was withdrawn from service and has since spent time at multiple locations, including France and the UAE, in storage.
On September 16, 2025, Germany-based EFW, a company owned by Airbus and ST Engineering, announced that it was welcoming a new A380 customer for servicing.
In a statement EFW wrote: “EFW and our new customer ALG, represented by Gregory Thornton and Martyn Anderson, are proud to announce the arrival of MSN006, their first A380 to be serviced in Dresden, on behalf of their client.”
The company added: “The aircraft is in a very good condition, and we are looking forward to completing the final maintenance tasks before this fascinating aircraft will return to operation.”
Data from Flightradar24 showed that the A380 flew from Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport (LDE) to Dresden Airport (DRS) on September 12, 2025.
Interestingly, the original statement from EFW said that the A380 that arrived for maintenance is “neither related to Global Airlines nor Hi Fly”. This part of the statement was later deleted.
AeroTime has emailed EFW to ask if the company can provide clarity regarding the information it published.
From the information AeroTime has available the aircraft has indeed been operated by Hi Fly and it has been previously linked with the British startup carrier Global Airlines.
In fact, both Flightradar24 and Planespotters both associate the aircraft 9H-MIP with Global Airlines.
Regardless, it is an exciting development to learn that one of the earliest A380s delivered to an airline is being given a new lease of life.
Hi Fly has previously operated a different Airbus A380-800, registered 9H-GLOBL, on behalf of Global Airlines during several high-profile transatlantic flights.
In 2024, Global Airlines signed an agreement with EFW to perform a comprehensive base maintenance inspection on 9H-GLOBL. The aircraft arrived at the facility in October 2024.
During its time with Singapore Airlines the A380, registered 9V-SKC, spent around 10 years flying passengers.
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The post Mystery surrounds recently stored Airbus A380 being readied to enter service appeared first on AeroTime.
An Airbus A380-800 that was one of the first superjumbos to be delivered to launch customer Singapore Airlines…
The post Mystery surrounds recently stored Airbus A380 being readied to enter service appeared first on AeroTime.
