The continuing war in Iran means aviation in the Gulf is far from where it was a few weeks ago. This includes Emirates’ use of the Airbus A380. According to the carrier’s latest schedule update, 15 routes will no longer see the double-decker quadjet, albeit only temporarily.
This change plays a significant role in Emirates planning an average of 45 daily A380 departures from Dubai in April. Compared to what was available last week, its offering has fallen by a third. And it is 43% lower than the same spring month last year. As the situation remains volatile and that things could change quickly, the plan is certainly subject to adaption.
The 15 Routes Without A380 Flights (For Now)
They are shown on the admittedly somewhat unclear map and listed below in alphabetical order. It reflects the situation as of March 30 and may change quickly. Treat it as a snapshot of the situation at the time of writing.
The routes either last saw the superjumbo at the end of February, around the start of the Iran war, or during March. On some routes, the A380 stopped being used, returned, and was pulled again. This is particularly notable, and presumably reflects lower demand at the moment.
All 15 routes are due to see the A380 again on May 1. Given this complete consistency, this is likely to simply be a placeholder schedule, with the resumption date potentially pushed back. We must simply wait and see what, if anything, happens.
| A380 From Dubai To… | When Was The A380 Last Used?* | What A380 Frequency Was Planned For April?** | When Is The Type Now Due To Return?*** | Any Flights On Other Passenger Equipment In April? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amman | February 28 | Daily | May 1 | Yes: 777-300ER |
| Barcelona | February 28 | Daily | May 1 | Yes: 777-200LR/777-300ER |
| Copenhagen | March 16 | Daily | May 1 (615-seater) | Yes: A350-900 |
| Düsseldorf | February 27 | Daily | May 1 (615-seater) | Yes: 777-300ER |
| Frankfurt | March 28 | Three weekly | May 1 | Yes: 777-300ER |
| Glasgow | March 12 | Daily | May 1 | Yes: A350-900 |
| Houston Intercontinental | February 27 | Daily | May 1 | No (suspended) |
| Los Angeles | February 28 | Daily | May 1 | No (suspended) |
| Nice | March 28 | Daily | May 1 | Yes: 777-300ER |
| Osaka Kansai | February 28 | Daily | May 1 | No (suspended) |
| Perth | March 14 | Daily | May 1 | Yes: A350-900 |
| Prague | March 23 | Daily | May 1 (615-seater) | Yes: 777-300ER |
| Taipei | March 28 | Daily | May 1 (partly on the 615-seater) | Yes: 777-300ER |
| Vienna | March 28 | Daily | May 1 | Yes: 777-300ER |
| Washington Dulles | February 28 | Daily | May 1 | Yes: 777-300ER |
| * From Dubai, based on Flightradar24 | ** According to the airline’s submission to Cirium Diio as of March 23 | *** Based on Cirium and Emirates’ website. Known as of March 30 |
Three A380 Routes Remain Suspended
When Emirates’ full passenger network is considered, 20 destinations will not return to service in April. Focusing only on markets that saw the A380 before the war, Emirates is not yet back in Houston (which is the carrier’s second-longest nonstop route), Los Angeles, or Osaka.
Let’s look at Houston. Emirates first flew the double-decker there in 2014, with the type deployed until 2020. It returned in 2022 and operated ever since, except for the current hiatus.
Between 2014 and 2026, Cirium data shows that Houston had 2,589 departures on the A380. It is Emirates’ fifth most-served US airport for superjumbo flights of all time, behind New York JFK (14,779), Los Angeles (4,435), San Francisco (3,649), and Washington Dulles (3,035). In the past 12 years, 62 airports globally have had at least 100 departures on Emirates’ double-deckers. In this sense, Houston ranks 43rd.
Credits: Emirates
