DALLAS — Before the pandemic, global air travel was on a steady rise, reaching a record 4.5 billion passengers in 2019. However, in 2020, the COVID-19 crisis triggered an unprecedented collapse in air traffic, with passenger numbers plunging by nearly 60-70% to just 1.8 billion. Since then, international travel has made a remarkable recovery.

In 2025, many regions have not only returned to pre-pandemic levels but have surpassed them, fueled by pent-up demand and lifted restrictions. As a result, routes temporarily operated by narrowbody aircraft during the pandemic are now seeing the return of widebodies, as airlines struggle to keep up with surging long-haul demand and increased passenger volumes.

To handle the surge in long-haul travel, airlines have been ramping up the use of widebody aircraft, especially modern aircraft like the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, prized for their long range and fuel efficiency. However, with demand bouncing back faster than expected and manufacturers facing production delays, carriers must work with what they have. 

This means that even larger aircraft like the Airbus A380, once considered too big and costly to operate, are being brought back on routes where passenger volume justifies it, such as major intercontinental hubs with limited takeoff and landing slots.

Unexpected Comeback: Why Some Airlines Are Bringing Back the A380

After the pandemic, airlines have taken different paths regarding using widebody aircraft, especially the Airbus A380. Some carriers, like Air France, Malaysia Airlines, and Thai Airways, have permanently retired their A380 fleets, mainly due to high operating costs, limited flexibility, and the belief that such large aircraft no longer fit their long-term network plans.

While some airlines have chosen to retire their A380 fleets entirely, others are taking a different path. With demand for long-haul travel rebounding faster than expected, carriers like Etihad, Lufthansa, British Airways, and Qantas are bringing their A380s out of long-term storage and reintroducing them on key international routes. 

This surprising resurgence is primarily driven by ongoing delays in the Boeing 777X program, limited slot availability at major airports like Heathrow and Sydney, and a sharp recovery in premium travel demand on intercontinental sectors. Emirates, the largest A380 operator, never fully grounded its fleet and continues to deploy the aircraft on high-volume routes such as Dubai–London. 

In today’s tight supply environment, where new widebodies like the A350 and 787 face delivery delays, the A380 is once again proving to be a practical short-term solution, especially on routes where capacity and comfort outweigh concerns about fuel efficiency.

Aircraft Production Delays Impact Supply and Airline Strategies

Aircraft production continues to lag behind demand, limiting the growth of global fleets. By the end of 2024, commercial aircraft deliveries totaled fewer than 1,300—about 30% below the 2018 peak delivery numbers. Deliveries aren’t expected to exceed those 2018 levels until 2026.

The production slowdown began in 2019 with the Boeing 737 MAX grounding and has since been exacerbated by supply chain issues, labor shortages, strikes, raw material delays, limited production capacity, and regulatory hurdles. 

As a result, manufacturers struggle to keep up with demand for new aircraft. To manage this, airlines are delaying retirements. In contrast, others like  Air Canada have reactivated older planes, such as their retired 33-year-old Boeing 767s, which put them back into service to help bridge the capacity gap.

Widebodies Connecting Secondary Cities

As long-haul international travel bounces back and surpasses pre-pandemic levels in some regions, airlines aren’t just returning to the same old hub-to-hub model. They’re rethinking route networks—and increasingly using twin-aisle widebody aircraft to open nonstop connections between secondary cities, mainly where demand has grown post-pandemic.

A significant factor driving this change is the rise of modern, fuel-efficient widebodies like the Airbus A350-900, A330neo, and Boeing 787. These aircraft are lighter, quieter, and cheaper to operate than older, high-capacity aircraft like the 747, A380, and, in some cases, even the 777-300ER. Thanks to their lower operating costs and medium seating capacity, launching long-haul flights from cities that once lacked the demand to support them is financially viable.

For example:

United Airlines has launched nonstop flights directly from U.S. cities like New York (Newark) to destinations like Dubrovnik, Croatia. This shows U.S. carriers targeting seasonal or leisure secondary markets in Europe.

Lufthansa has also introduced new nonstop service, using the A350 between Hyderabad and Munich, tapping into growing demand from Indian secondary cities for direct long-haul connections.

Qatar Airways has launched Doha–Lyon/Toulouse using the 787. This shows Gulf carriers expanding reach into regional Europe.

While the traditional hub-and-spoke model is still widely used, the growth of point-to-point services between smaller cities is becoming a real trend, especially as passengers increasingly prefer nonstop flights over stopovers.

This decentralization will likely continue, not just with widebodies but also with new long-range narrowbody aircraft. The Airbus A321XLR, for instance, recently entered service and is specifically designed to serve thinner long-haul routes directly between smaller cities. Airlines like JetBlue, Iberia, and IndiGo plan to use the A321XLR on transatlantic routes where hub connections were once the only option.

The Shift from Size to Frequency

Before the pandemic, airlines had started pivoting away from flying massive aircraft a few times a week toward offering more frequent service with smaller jets. But in the post-pandemic recovery, this shift has sharply accelerated. 

Flagship aircraft like the A380 and Boeing 747—once symbols of global air travel—are being retired or sidelined, while more efficient midsize widebodies like the Airbus A350, Boeing 787, and A330neo have become the workhorses of international fleets.

Why the change? Flexibility and economics. The pandemic exposed how risky it is to rely on large aircraft that require consistently high demand to be profitable. When borders shut and demand vanished, those aircraft became liabilities. 

Even now, with IATA reporting that global passenger traffic has surpassed 2019 levels and average load factors hitting a record 83.5%, airlines are not returning to "bigger is better."

Higher Aircraft Utilization Amid Shortages

Ongoing aircraft shortages have pushed airlines to maximize the usage of their current fleets by flying planes more frequently and reducing idle time. The Aviation Suppliers Association reports that by August 2024, global air transport utilization—measured in total flying hours—reached 106% of pre-COVID levels. 

Domestic travel has led this recovery, with utilization surpassing pre-pandemic numbers, while international flights have also nearly matched them at around 102%. Airlines are scheduling tighter turnarounds and increasing daily flight frequencies on key routes to meet growing passenger demand, even though fewer aircraft are available.

A key enabler of this trend is the growing use of AI-driven systems in airline operations. From predictive maintenance to optimized crew scheduling and real-time fleet management, AI helps reduce delays, avoid unnecessary downtime, and ensure aircraft spend more time in the air. These tools allow airlines to squeeze more efficiency from their existing resources, making higher utilization rates possible and sustainable.

As international air travel rebounds beyond pre-pandemic levels, the role of widebody aircraft is evolving rapidly. From the surprising return of the A380 to the rise of secondary city connections and AI-driven fleet optimization, airlines are rethinking long-haul strategy in a constrained supply environment. 

While challenges like aircraft shortages and production delays persist, carriers are maximizing the efficiency of their existing fleets, proving that flexibility and smart deployment matter more than ever in today’s skies.