Today, Emirates is celebrating 10 years of A380 operations. Since its first flight to New York from Dubai on August 1, 2008, the Emirates A380 has carried more than 105 million passengers worldwide, of which 9.8 million were from our U.S. gateways. To date, the airline has clocked in more than 930 million miles on 115,000 flights, equivalent to 39,000 trips around the globe. The first service to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport also marked the first-ever A380 commercial service in United States history and now, currently services five U.S. gateways, including Washington D.C., San Francisco, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York.

Emirates is the world’s largest operator of the A380 aircraft, with 104 double-decker aircraft flying to 49 cities on six continents and more than 80 daily departures from Dubai, the airline’s hub. In addition to its 104-strong fleet, the airline has a further 58 A380s on order. Today, Emirates also operates the world’s shortest A380 route from Dubai to Kuwait and the world’s longest A380 non-stop route from Dubai to Auckland. The airline has also grown its scheduled services to major airports and has successfully grown demand at regional airports such as Manchester, Brisbane, Kuala Lumpur, Houston, Prague, Kuwait, Mauritius, Johannesburg and Sao Paulo.

“It’s been 10 extraordinary years since the first Emirates A380 flight took to the skies, and today it has become one of the most recognizable and admired aircraft in the world,” said Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline. “Passengers love to fly it because of its spaciousness, which provides more comfort across all classes and its iconic products like the Onboard Lounge, Shower Spa and First Class suites have redefined air travel. We remain committed to providing the best experience for our customers aboard our flagship aircraft, and introducing new innovations that will continue to ‘wow’ them every time they fly with us.” 

“The Emirates A380 has also had a significant impact on the aerospace industry and its high-value supply chains, fuelling hundreds of thousands of jobs for skilled workers, and creating significant economic benefits in countries which have A380 production facilities,” adds Sir Tim Clark. “The aircraft continues to boost tourism and trade wherever it flies by stimulating further traffic and demand, and we hope that it continues to play a key role in the economies and societies that it serves in the years to come.”

Aviation History Making Moments

The Emirates A380 has been at the center of a number of aviation firsts over the last decade, including the unprecedented formation flight in 2015 with the Jetman Dubai duo. The stunning formations were conducted over the Dubai skyline and the Palm Jumeirah, showcasing how far aviation has come. That same year, Emirates introduced the world’s first two-class A380, with capacity for 615 passengers.

In 2017, the A380 took to the skies again at the Dubai Airshow with a special fly-past accompanied by the Boeing 777-300ER, closely followed by the UAE’s air display team, Al Fursan.

The Emirates A380 has also touched down in 73 airports for one-off and scheduled services, special commemorative flights, chartered flights, test flights and other operational deployments, causing it to become a key part in maximizing efficiencies at slot constrained airports.

Inspiring a Better Customer Experience

From First Class to Economy Class, the Emirates A380 has been an industry step-change for passengers to experience new standards of in-flight comfort. Emirates revolutionized the A380’s cabin space design when it introduced its bespoke version of the aircraft in 2008. The new design incorporated higher ceilings and mood-lighting, as well as signature, industry-first elements like its Onboard Lounge, a social area at 40,000 feet where jet-setters could meet in an ambient setting. In 2017, Emirates introduced the next generation of the Onboard Lounge featuring a sleeker design, new color palette, social seating arrangement and surround sound, among other touches. The popular Shower Spa has become a defining feature of the premium experience on the Emirates A380’s three-class configured aircraft, and over 80% of long-haul First Class customers have utilised it.

Emirates’ First Class experience on its A380 provides passengers with an unprecedented level of privacy and thoughtful touches of luxury with more than 1,400 A380 First Class suites flying today 

Across all classes, over 120 million meals have been served on the A380 since 2008. First Class customers have consumed 2.7 million tins of caviar, and more than 3.5 million fresh flowers have been loaded on A380 flights. 

Emirates multi-award winning in-flight entrainment system, ice, offers unparalleled choice and quality when it comes to entertainment, with more than 3,500 channels. The Emirates A380 Economy Class seats feature among the widest individual in-seat screens in the industry, measuring in at 13.3 inches.

Emirates also has 1,500 Flight Deck Crew and over 20,000 Cabin Crew specially trained to operate its A380 fleet. 

Positive Impact On Societies and Economies

The Emirates A380 program supports jobs across the global aircraft manufacturing supply chain, with Airbus estimating 41,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs in Europe alone as a result of Emirates’ recent A380 order. The estimated Europe-wide impact of Emirates’ A380 investment contributes US$3.98 billion to the GDP of the region.** 

In January 2018, Emirates ordered a further 36 A380s worth US$16 billion, taking the airline’s commitment for the aircraft to 178 units, and further generating catalytic benefits for European economies with the airline’s impending deliveries beyond 2020.  

Since 2008, the Emirates A380 has also conducted humanitarian ferry flights in partnership with the Airbus Foundation, transporting over 120 tons of food and vital emergency equipment to those in need.

Dubai – A Global Center for A380 Maintenance and Operations

As the largest operator of the Airbus A380, Emirates’ engineering division based in Dubai has become a global leader in A380 maintenance. The airline operates modern, extensive facilities that include seven heavy maintenance hangars and four light maintenance hangars that accommodate the A380. Emirates Engineering has also amassed the experience, know-how and infrastructure to provide the most comprehensive Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and services in the world, with 157 A380 C-Checks conducted to date. In addition to all A380 aircraft displaying the Expo 2020 nose decals, more than 25 A380 aircraft have been repainted and 16 large aircraft decals are currently emblazoned on Emirates’ A380s. All aircraft repainting and decal applications are completed at the airline’s Aircraft Appearance Centre in Dubai.

In 2013, the world’s largest A380 hub welcomed the opening of Concourse A, a first of its kind purpose-built Concourse dedicated to A380 operations. The US$3.3 billion facility offers travelers unprecedented convenience with direct boarding to the A380 aircraft from First and Business Class lounges, as well as other world-class amenities.

 * According to Frontier Economics analysis carried out in 2015

**Catering figures taken from Emirates’ A380s departing Dubai only. This does not include meals loaded overseas.