Updated 2025-04-20T10:08:43Z
- Several airlines ditched the Airbus A380 during the pandemic.
- It's still flying high, led by Emirates' fleet of 118 superjumbos.
- Business Insider compiled a list of every airline operating the A380 and their summer routes.
Airbus took decades to develop the A380, a project announced in 1990 to compete with the Boeing 747. When the airliner entered service with Singapore Airlines in 2007, it became the world's largest passenger jet.
The high operating costs of the four-engine jet prompted carriers including Air France, Thai Airways, and Malaysia Airlines to ditch the A380 during or after the pandemic.
Now, airlines seem to be falling back in love with the superjumbo.
Lufthansa retired all 14 of its A380s during the pandemic but has brought back eight of them since 2022. Etihad has reactivated six jets and launched new routes to Paris and Singapore.
Meanwhile, Australia's Qantas has announced plans to restart A380 flights between Sydney and Dallas from August 2025, for the first time since before the pandemic.
Global Airlines, a British startup, has acquired an A380 formerly owned by China Southern, with its first flights scheduled for next month.
Based on fleet data from Ch-aviation and route data from Cirium, Business Insider has compiled a list of every airline regularly operating the A380 and the routes they're planning to fly in June.
Ten airlines operate the A380, but one has the biggest fleet by far.
Here's what all 92 routes look like on the map.
If you're looking for the A380 routes closest to you, then try this interactive, zoomable map.
1. Emirates
Dubai's airline is by far the world's largest operator of the A380. Emirates has 118, 24 of which are in storage or maintenance, per Ch-aviation data.
Like its rival Middle Eastern airlines, Emirates' A380 is highly luxurious — with business-class passengers able to visit the bar or even book a shower.
The airline's president, Tim Clark, told BI earlier this year that he'd like Airbus to build a new version of the A380 with more fuel-efficient engines.
Emirates' plethora of planes comes with a similarly broad route map. Brace yourself for an extensive list.
Emirates flies the A380 between Dubai and Amman, Jordan; Amsterdam; Auckland, New Zealand; Bangkok; Barcelona; Bengaluru, India; Birmingham, England; Brisbane, Australia; Cairo; Casablanca, Morocco; Copenhagen, Denmark; Denpasar, Indonesia; Düsseldorf, Germany; Frankfurt, Germany; Glasgow, Scotland; Hong Kong; Houston; Istanbul; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Johannesburg; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; London Gatwick; London Heathrow; Los Angeles; Madrid; Manchester, England; Mauritius; Melbourne, Australia; Milan; Moscow; Mumbai, India; Munich; New York; Nice, France; Osaka, Japan; Paris; Perth, Australia; Prague; Rome; San Francisco; São Paulo; Seoul; Singapore; Sydney; Taipei, Taiwan; Tokyo Narita; Toronto; Vienna; Washington, DC; and Zurich.
This season sees the addition of Munich, Copenhagen, and Prague.
Emirates also serves Christchurch, New Zealand via Sydney as a fifth-freedom flight. Plus, flights on the superjumbo are available direct between Milan and New York, or between Bangkok and Hong Kong.
2. British Airways
British Airways has 12 Airbus A380s, and 10 are in service.
Skytrax ranked the airline's business class 15th last year. In 2024, BA launched a $9 billion "transformation program," which includes retrofitting its A380s with an upgraded first class that is expected to debut next year.
"The A380 is an important part of our fleet and rightfully, incredibly popular with our customers," Neil Chernoff, BA's chief planning and strategy officer, told BI last year.
Behind Emirates, BA offers the second-highest number of destinations, most of which are in the US.
BA flies the A380 between London Heathrow and Boston, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Singapore, and Washington, DC.
3. Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines also has a fleet of 12, two of which are on maintenance, per Ch-aviation data.
The carrier one of just 10 to receive a five-star rating from Skytrax. It named Singapore Airlines' business class the second-best behind Qatar Airways — but top for first-class.
The airline offers enormous suites on its A380s, which have both an armchair and a bed. Two of these can also be uniquely combined to create a double bed.
Singapore flies the A380 between Singapore Changi Airport and Frankfurt, London, Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, and Sydney.
4. Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways cleaned up at last year's Skytrax awards, winning both best airline and best business class.
Like Emirates, the airline's A380 includes a bar for business-class passengers. It also has huge bathrooms, but no showers.
The A380s also lack its flagship business-class product, the QSuite, which you'll find on the A350 and Boeing 777 and 787.
Following delays to the Boeing 777X, Qatar reversed plans to retire the A380.
Its former CEO, Akbar Al-Bakar, said in 2021 that buying the planes was a "big mistake," given their high operating costs.
However, on the sidelines of last year's Farnborough Airshow, Qatar's new CEO, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said the quad-engine was getting a new lease of life.
Qatar has 10 A380s, but two are in storage and one is under maintenance, per Ch-aviation.
The airline operates the A380 between Doha and Bangkok, London Heathrow, Paris, Perth, and Sydney.
5. Qantas
Qantas has 10 A380s. Two are in for maintenance, and another is in storage, per Ch-aviation.
The airline's A380s fly from Sydney to Johannesburg, Los Angeles, and Singapore, where some passengers continue to London Heathrow.
Plus, the A380 is sometimes used instead of the Boeing 787 on flights QF93 and QF94 from Melbourne to Los Angeles.
From August, Qantas also plans to operate the superjumbo between Sydney and Dallas.
A severe storm warning and "incredibly high" demand during Taylor Swift's Australian tour last year saw Qantas use a standby A380 to fly Swifties from Melbourne to Sydney.
6. Etihad
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad is the third most prominent operator in the Middle East but is often overshadowed by Emirates and Qatar. That's the case with its A380 fleet, too.
The airline has 10 A380s, three of which are in storage — but that's down from five previously. Another one is on maintenance.
Etihad's A380s are unique as they offer the most extravagant ticket in commercial aviation: The Residence.
For $24,000, you can book the only three-room suite on an airliner, complete with a bedroom and shower.
Etihad flies its A380s from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow, Paris, New York, and Singapore.
From June 24, Toronto is set to replace New York.
7. Lufthansa
The German flag carrier has a fleet of eight A380s.
The airline appears to prefer the only other double-decker passenger jet. Lufthansa has 27 Boeing 747 jets — the most of any passenger airline, according to Ch-aviation data
Lufthansa initially retired all 14 of its A380s during the pandemic before changing its mind as travel demand bounced back. The other six were sold back to Airbus, Airways Magazine reported in 2023.
Lufthansa's A380s go between Munich and Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New Delhi, New York, and Washington, DC.
8. Korean Air
Korean Air is one of four airlines on this list, and 10 around the world, to be rated five stars by Skytrax.
Ch-aviation data indicated that the airline has seven A380s, but two are in storage and one is in for maintenance.
Korean Air's superjumbo jets go from Incheon International Airport in Seoul to Hong Kong, New York, and Taipei.
But four-engined jets are falling out of favor with Korean. In 2021, CEO Walter Cho told FlightGlobal that its A380s would be retired by 2026 and its Boeing 747s by 2031.
9. Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines has six A380s, all of which are active, according to Ch-aviation.
During the pandemic, Asiana flew empty superjumbos to keep its pilots certified, Bloomberg reported in 2020.
The second Seoul-based carrier on this list, Asiana has merged with Korean Air. For now, it's operated as a subsidiary but will use the same name from 2027.
The combined entity could have 13 A380s, the second-most behind Emirates, depending on by Korean's plans to retire its A380s.
Until then, Asiana regularly flies the A380 from Seoul to Los Angeles and New York.
10. ANA
ANA is the newest customer of the Airbus A380, with its first delivered in 2019.
The Japanese airline has three, which are only used between Tokyo Narita and Honolulu. One is on maintenance, per Ch-aviation data.
ANA is another five-star airline, with an impressive business-class product. But you'll need to fly on a Boeing 777 to experience "The Room" — or in first class, "The Suite," which includes a 43-inch TV.
Global Airlines
Hi Fly Malta also has an A380, per Ch-aviation data. The charter airline is a subsidiary of the Portuguese airline Hi Fly and has been working with Global Airlines.
Global aims to fly the superjumbo jet across the Atlantic, but its plans have been questioned due to the high cost of operating the A380.
The airline completed its first transatlantic flight in May 2024 — ferrying its A380 from California to Scotland via a stop in Montreal.
The 11-year-old jet, formerly owned by China Southern Airlines, had been sitting in a Mojave boneyard before being refurbished. It has since been painted white with a red tail.
Global Airlines has scheduled its first two round-trip flights for May, from Glasgow and Manchester to New York's JFK airport.