Emirates will keep A380 flying until end of next decade

New Delhi – Emirates plans to keep its giant fleet of Airbus A380 double-deckers in operation until the end of the next decade, as the world’s largest international airline seeks to extend the lifespan of an aircraft that helped lay the foundation for its dominance on global routes. 

The Dubai-based carrier will introduce one more upgrade to the aircraft’s first-class cabins before retiring the planes at the end of the next decade, Emirates president Tim Clark told journalists at an aviation gathering in New Delhi on June 1.  

“Like a hotel, you’ve got to keep at it, and we’ll change out the products,” Mr Clark said. The new first class for the aircraft is “on the drawing board” at the moment, he said, declining to provide details.

Emirates is already pouring billions of dollars into a refresh of its fleet of A380s as it seeks to extend the jumbo jets’ lifespan.

Airbus announced early in 2019 that it would cease making the plane because of slim orders, with only Emirates buying the giant plane in large quantities, with a fleet of more than 100 units.

Many other carriers have retired their fleets, and switched to smaller variants like the Airbus A350-1000 or the Boeing 777.

“We can probably push her out for quite a few years yet,” Mr Clark said of the A380 aircraft.

Emirates has broken some older double-deckers, so the airline has a large storage of parts, though getting spares for the engines might prove harder over time, he added.

Mr Clark is pushing the lifespan of the planes because Emirates lacks an obvious replacement at this stage.

The airline has not ordered the A350-1000 because Mr Clark has been openly critical of the durability of the aircraft’s engines, made by Rolls-Royce. And the Boeing 777X model will not arrive before some time next year, he said. 

Boeing is providing “clearer messages” on its delivery program for the 777X, the next iteration of its popular wide-body aircraft, Mr Clark said, with an entry into service in global fleets possibly towards autumn next year.

The refreshed A380s come with a four-class layout consisting of first, business, premium economy and economy class.

Emirates equipped its original first class with extras such as enclosed cabins and even showers, while business-class passengers can mingle at a communal bar on the upper deck. 

While the A380 is a hit with the flying public because of its imposing size and often luxurious layout, airlines struggled to make it operationally viable, given the high fuel costs and complexity of operating a plane of that size on many routes. Bloomberg