Emirates to keep its A380s flying through to 2040

Emirates plans to keep flying its flagship Airbus A380s until the end of the next decade, pushing back the retirement of the superjumbos yet again.

Speaking to media at a gathering of the International Air Transport Association in Delhi, Emirates president Sir Tim Clark flagged an extension of the previous “mid ’30s” timeline, saying the airline could draw on a stockpile of A380 parts from retired aircraft.

The Airbus A380 is the plane which helped drive the growth of Emirates, carrying travellers to and from all corners of the world via its Dubai mega-hub, with almost 120 superjumbos in its fleet when Airbus cancelled production of the superjumbo in 2019 owing to lack of demand.

And Clark hasn’t given up on the idea of an A380neo, adapting new design technology and high-efficiency engines to reduce fuel burn by as much as 25%.

“I’m still shown the door when I mention it, but I’m still asking,” Clark remarked wryly.

Read more: Emirates’ $20 billion plan for new A380neo superjumbo

In the meantime, Clark remains hopeful of seeing the first Boeing 777X – which will eventually replace the double-decker A380 – in either late 2026 or early 2027.

Clark has previously mapped out Emirates fleet strategy from the end of this decade as “using the A380s on the trunk routes, barreling through from east to west and north to south... with the 777X gradually slipping in to replace the A380s that eventually retire.”

Meanwhile, the mid-sized Airbus A350 and yet-to-be-delivered Boeing 787 would be vital in further expanding Emirates’ global network.

“There are many cities and markets that we haven’t served for very good reasons,” Clark explained at the time.

“Sometimes it is because even with intelligent use of the aircraft it still doesn’t stack up on the economics,” which is where the smaller A350 and Boeing 787 will have a clear advantage over the colossal A380 and 777 jets.

Also read: Emirates eyes new first class for upgraded 777s