SQ A380’s depart Alice Springs

Singapore Airlines has begun moving some of its aircraft out of storage and returning them to Singapore, where the planes are undergoing maintenance and refitting.

So far two A380s and all six Boeing 737-8 MAX planes stored there have departed Alice Springs, but Singapore Airlines has not yet set a timeline for returning the planes to service.

"Since the onset of the pandemic we've continued to remain nimble and flexible with aircraft deployment and monitor global demand closely," a spokesperson said. "We currently do not have any plans to return these aircraft to service in the near term."

Several airlines have moved planes into storage at APAS due to the downturn in air travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. So many, in fact, that last year it found itself running out of space.

Capacity at the site, which has been storing planes for Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Fiji Airways and Philippines carrier Cebu Pacific, has been expanded, but APAS has also opened a second facility at Wellcamp in Queensland to cope with demand.