[cstross]

Modern airliners are designed for a 30 year service life, this one is barely at ten years old, so it won't be airframe at end of lifespan.

One of the engines has only 800 cycles; the others are around the 3000 mark (so roughly 300 flights/year, which sounds about right for an A380: they service long-haul routes).

It might be a case of (3), with the added problem of there being a glut on the market due to the availability of newer, less maintenance-intensive wide-body twinjets with >400 seats these days (Boeing 777X, Airbus 350)?

[djmips]

Actually two of the engineers are closer to 4000