Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines Announce Significant Changes to Airbus A380 Routes

Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines have recently announced several significant changes to their Airbus A380 routes, reflecting adjustments in demand and operational strategies.

Emirates, which plans to operate its A380s to 51 destinations from Dubai this winter, has halved the number of non-stop A380 flights to Hong Kong. Instead of the previously scheduled double daily non-stop flights starting January 1, the airline will now operate only one daily A380 flight. The EK380 flight will continue with the 517-seat A380, while the EK382 and EK383 flights will be operated by the 360-seat Boeing 777-300ER, resulting in 30% fewer seats per departure. This change aims to optimize winter loads, fares, and yields. Additionally, Emirates will continue to operate A380 flights to Hong Kong via Bangkok on a daily basis, maintaining a total of double daily A380 flights to Hong Kong during the winter season.

Qatar Airways has also made changes to its A380 operations. The airline had reintroduced the A380 on the Doha-Paris CDG route in May 2023 and had planned to continue this service until at least June 2025. However, the latest updates indicate that the A380 service on this route will cease on March 29, 2025. The 517-seat A380 will be replaced by a 354-seat Boeing 777-300ER, reducing the number of seats per departure by 32%. This adjustment is part of Qatar Airways’ strategy to manage winter loads and optimize fares and yields.

Singapore Airlines has made several adjustments to its A380 network as well. The airline will reduce its double daily A380 operations to London Heathrow to a single daily flight from February 1 to March 29. The daytime Europe-bound service will be operated by a 264-seat Boeing 777-300ER, while the overnight service will remain on the A380. Additionally, Singapore Airlines will reduce its A380 flights to Sydney from double daily to daily in May and delay the introduction of A380 services to Tokyo Narita from March 30 to May 1. During the interim period, the 777-300ER will be used for these routes.