Widebody Airliner Storage and Scrapped A380s – Tarbes Lourdes Spotting Update

A few years ago we visited Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport to provide a spotting guide and overview of this unique airport in southern France.

In case you didn’t know, Tarbes-Lourdes is attractive to spotters for two reasons – first, it sees a lot of charter traffic bringing Catholic pilgrims from across Europe and further afield to visit the nearby city. Second, the airport is a large aircraft storage and scrapping site where many airliners come to die or await onward sale and lease.

Thanks to its proximity to Toulouse, the airport is also selected by Airbus for storage, maintenance and testing of its own aircraft.

Erik Ritterbach has recently visited Lourdes Airport and provided this update and selection of images of the various airliners current in storage.

One of the most notable sights is the first Airbus A380 to enter service, formerly 9V-SKA with Singapore Airlines, now a shell as it undergoes scrapping.

All photos (c) Erik Ritterbach.