Qatar CEO says the airline isn't ditching its Airbus A380s just yet. See inside the superjumbo, complete with a bar and lounge.

• Qatar Airways' new CEO told reporters in July that the airline is keeping its beloved A380s.
• The decision came down to demand, airport and sky congestion, and the delayed Boeing 777X.
• Qatar is also developing a new first-class cabin for its A380s, reemphasizing its commitment.

Qatar Airways has gone back and forth on what to do with its Airbus A380 s.

Its former CEO, Akbar al Bakar, said told Simple Flying in 2021 that buying the planes was a "big mistake," given its high costs and inefficiencies.

However, on the sidelines of the Farnborough Airshow in July, Qatar's new CEO, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, told the media that the quad-engine is getting a second life.

"His Excellency, maybe he gave this comment years ago based on the situation of the industry, but today it's different," he said, referring to Bakar.

Across the industry, airlines have been retiring the A380 en masse. While it was loved for its grandeur, its two levels and four engines simply aren't as economical as the twin-engine widebody competitors like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787.

Qatar believes it has found the niche routes that make its A380s profitable out of its lucrative Doha base. Executives said the U-turn came down to airspace and airport congestion, demand, and the delayed Boeing 777X.

Qatar isn't just keeping A380s around as placeholders, either. In March, Al Meer said the airline is also designing a new first-class cabin for the jets.

Until then, passengers can still enjoy the luxury Qatar's A380s currently offer, including a flying bar.

Qatar has seven active A380 superjumbos with an average age of about eight-and-a-half years.

Qatar eventually plans to retire the jets with the yet-to-be-certified Boeing 777X , which is five years behind schedule and at least $1 billion in the hole due to pandemic and other production delays.

The airline has 94 of the 777X planes on order, including the 20 additional purchases it announced at the airshow. It expects the first delivery in early 2026.

Speaking about the 777X , Al Meer expressed confidence in the program despite its myriad problems, telling reporters "let's not cry over spilled milk."

The plane holds up to 517 people in three classes.

Al Meer explained previously told CNBC that the high-capacity A380s allow the airline to capture "very strong demand" to certain cities in Europe and Asia, noting the plane has achieved an over 86% load factor, an important measure that impacts a plane's profitability.

Qatar utilizes the A380s giant cabin to compensate for the airport and airspace congestion it’s experiencing.

Al Meer said the A380 allows it to shuttle as many people as possible, noting the plane would be a great future solution to the ever-busy skies as travel breaks records this year.

"We have so many restrictions and so many airports around the world that the A380 is the best option to operate to certain airports," he said. "For example, the A380 is the best option for us when we are restricted on the number of flights we can make to Australia."

The most basic offering — yet still very nice — is economy.

Qatar was lauded by Skytrax as having the "best economy class in the Middle East" in 2024, one of the handful of wins the airline secured.

The cabin can accommodate 461 people and features a seatback screen, power outlets, amenities like headphones, and meals. The bottom level of the A380 has 405 economy seats, while the second level has 56 coach seats.

According to Qatar, the upper economy level has a less cramped 2-3-2 layout than the 3-4-3 on the first level.

Unlike competitors, Qatar's A380s do not offer premium economy.

Qatar has yet to introduce a premium economy cabin despite the demand for the seats continuing to heat up.

Qatar’s cash cows are on the second level: business and first class.

Upstairs lie 48 business-class seats and an even more exclusive eight first-class seats. There are also 56 economy seats.

Business is set up in a 1-2-1 layout, meaning every passenger has direct-aisle access.

Passengers will get the regular bells and whistles of business, including lie-flat beds, large seatback screens, plenty of legroom, power, and an amenity kit.

The seats resemble those of British Airways' new Club Suite , which is flying on many of its Boeing and Airbus widebodies, though not the A380.

The A380 business class is not the airline's famous QSuite.

Qatar's QSuite is considered by Skytrax as the world's best business class for 2024. It is the regular winner, with its product boasting unique features like quad-seating and double beds.

Travelers can find the QSuite on all of Qatar's Airbus A350-1000s, some of its Airbus A350-900s, and most of its Boeing 777s.

The airline is also planning to introduce a new version of the QSuite , which it unveiled at the airshow in July.

First class is Qatar's most luxurious A380 offering.

Qatar's A380 is the only plane in its fleet with first class, having first debuted in 2014.

The elegant seats are on the front of the A380's upper deck in a 1-2-1 layout.

Like its A380 business class, Qatar's superjumbo first-class lacks a sliding door.

However, passengers will still find the suites are private thanks to the high middle dividers and the wings on the sides of each seat.

It also includes other nice touches, like a small lamp and side table, a big seatback screen, and plush linens.

CEO Al Meer has acknowledged that the cabin needs an update and said Qatar plans to introduce a new A380 first class.

"We want to combine the experience of flying commercial and on a private jet to develop something new," Al Meer told CNBC of the effort.

Besides its cabins, Qatar has squeezed a few other niche features onboard — the most grandiose being its flying bar and lounge.

The onboard bar is exclusive to Qatar's A380s and allows passengers to stretch or socialize.

The lounge accommodates half a dozen people and is available to business and first-class customers.

It’s similar to bars on other carriers like Emirates and Virgin Atlantic.

Emirates, the world's largest A380 operator , has a similar-looking space with a circular bar and seats on its superjumno.

Meanwhile, Virgin has several social spaces on its fleet of planes, though it doesn't fly any A380s. Instead, its Upper-Class bar is on its Airbus A330-300s and Boeing 787s, while it has lounge areas on its Airbus A330neos and A350s.

One thing missing from Qatar's A380 is a shower.

Competitors Etihad Airways and Emirates both have showers available to first-class travelers on their A380s.

One main reason airlines don't install showers is the water weight, which would increase the plane's already high operating costs.

With Qatar’s A380s given a second life, travelers don’t have to worry about flying them before they’re gone.

According to Cirium, Qatar's A380 is scheduled to fly between Doha and Bangkok, Paris, London, Sydney, and Perth, Australia, this year.

The plane is not presently flying to the US.

If not Qatar, only a few other airlines still fly the fan-favorite superjumbo.

Beyond Qatar, the world's A380 operators are Emirates, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Etihad, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Korea's Asiana Airlines, and Japan's All Nippon Airways.

English startup Global Airlines is also planning to fly the A380 between New York and London, but critics aren't holding their breath.

Read the original article on Business Insider