LONDON – The first Lufthansa Airbus A380, registered as D-AIMK, has come out of storage and is en route back to Germany.

Under the callsign LH9921, the aircraft departed Teruel around 30 minutes ago, based on data from RadarBox.com.

D-AIMK is a nine-year-old Airbus A380-841 that has remained with Lufthansa all this time.

Follow our live coverage below as the aircraft progresses through with its flight.

This is a developing story.

UPDATE #1 @ 1557 UK time – Footage has emerged from @TarmacAerosave of the LH A380 taxiing out for departure around an hour ago.

UPDATE #2 @ 1600 UK time – Photos have also emerged from @TarmacAerosave of a little celebratory event to do with sending the aircraft back to Frankfurt.

UPDATE #3 @ 1604 UK time – @LufthansaNews has also released some cool images, including a picture of the crew who will be taking the aircraft back to Frankfurt.

UPDATE #4 @ 1606 UK time – In the last few mins, @TarmacAerosave has shared a video of the Lufthansa A380 departing Teruel.

UPDATE #5 @ 1622 UK time – For those that don’t know, D-AIMK has been in storage for a long time.

Data from Planespotters.net highlights that the aircraft has been in Teruel since May 2020, which is when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full flow.

Lufthansa clearly didn’t need the aircraft at the time, as demand for air travel took a nosedive. Now that things are recovering again, there is a need for the jet.

UPDATE #6 @ 1628 UK time – As reported by FlightRadar24, the cruise altitude for the flight is low at 30,000 feet because the jet will do a cycling of the landing gear at the Lufthansa Technik facility in Frankfurt.

It is understood the aircraft will be sent over to Manila for heavy maintenance once this cycling is complete.

UPDATE #7 @ 1651 UK time – LH9921 is tracking closer towards Paris, but at quite a slow pace currently.

UPDATE #8 @ 1722 UK time – LH9921 has turned right over central Paris and is now heading East towards Frankfurt am Main.

UPDATE #9 @ 1746 UK time – On her way home! LH9921 has begun its descent into Frankfurt am Main International Airport.

UPDATE #10 @ 1804 UK time – LH9921 is now on final approach into Frankfurt, using the 07s for landing.

UPDATE #11 @ 1812 UK time – LH9921 has successfully landed at Frankfurt am Main International Airport’s Runway 07R. Welcome home, Mike-Kilo! That concludes our coverage for now.