9.1. Airbus A380-800 Nullarbor Australian Air Lines "2005-2015"

At the turn of the century, Nullarbor Australian Air Lines was growing further than ever before. The introduction of the Airbus A330/A340 and Boeing 777 into the fleet in the mid-90s had allowed for new nonstop services to further destinations, further reducing the time it took to get to Australia. At the same time, the new widebodies brought some of the most advanced technology available into the airline. The airline was optimistic about the future, and was looking to expand even further.

By the mid-2000s, Nullarbor was considering the Airbus A340-600 and A380 from Airbus, and the 777-300ER and the recently-launched 7E7 from Boeing, in order to complement its fleet of A340-300s, 777-200ERs and 747-400s on long-range and ultra-long-range routes. Airbus supporters within the company argued that the longer range of the A340-600 vs the 777-300ER, and the larger capacity of the A380, would allow the airline to grow further without needing a huge amount of planes, while Boeing supporters claimed that the 777 and 7E7's greater efficiency would make it more attractive to the airline, and the smaller size would make them more versatile.

By the end of 2004, the airline had begun to lean more towards the Boeing offer, as the twinjets were more efficient than Airbus' quadjets. Airbus, realising this fact,] offered Nullarbor a steep discount for the A340-600 and A380 if Nullarbor were to choose them over Boeing. The economics of the Boeing planes were very good, but the deal from Airbus was simply too good to pass up. On December 12th, 2004, Nullarbor ordered 12 Airbus A340-600s, as well as 8 A380s. However, this deal would quickly be followed up by an order for Boeing 777-300ERs and 787s in early 2005.

The airline planned to receive its first A380 in mid-2007, however constant delays pushed back that date by several months. Originally quite enthusiastic about the A380, Nullarbor had begun to get frustrated over the delays pushing back deliveries further and further, to the point where it threatened to cancel its order for the A380 entirely. However, the delays eventually ended, and the first A380 was delivered to Nullarbor's HQ in Melbourne on 14th August 2008. There was an enormous gathering at the airport to watch the new plane touch down, and the moment it came into view, it amazed the crowd; No one had ever seen such an enormous aircraft before. The A380 quickly became a favourite with travellers and the general public.

The A380 would be used on Nullarbor's flagship routes to destinations such as London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Beijing, complementing the 747-400s, and taking over the role as the flagship of the fleet. However, the effects of COVID-19 on the airline and travel industry hit the A380 hard, with airlines rapidly storing or retiring their now-even-more-unnecessary superjumbos. Nullarbor was no exception. As of November, 2020, all of Nullarbor's A380s are sitting idle in either Alice Springs, Northern Territory or Victorville, California, with their windscreens and engines covered. It is currently unknown how many A380s Nullarbor plans to return to service once the pandemic is over, if they decide to return them to service at all.

The A380 also was the first new aircraft to wear Nullarbor's new livery, introduced in 2005. The A380 was supposed to be the first aircraft to wear the new livery, however Nullarbor did a trial of the livery on a 747-400 beforehand, and a single A340-600 was also painted with this new livery before the first A380 arrived. The livery featured the same coloured stripes of the livery that came before it, but cut them off halfway down the tail. The livery introduced a new logo, with the next iteration of the company's iconic "Soaring Emu" design, as well as an enlargement of the aboriginal dot pattern around it. This livery and logo would last until 2015, when it was replaced by the next iteration of the company's brand history.

Shown above is VH-MSA, Nullarbor's first A380, in the 2005-2015 livery. All A380s are named after Australian aviation pioneers, with VH-MSA being named "William Marsten", after one of Nullarbor's original founders. This plane, along with three of its brothers, is currently sitting in Victorville. It is predicted that if this plane doesn't return to service, it will be parked at the Nullarbor museum in Beechworth, Victoria, where the airline was founded back in 1920.

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