In the past few years, the opportunities to fly on jumbo jets or quadjets have significantly decreased, especially since the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020, which saw a lot of airlines phase out these aircraft, one of which happened to be the world’s largest passenger jet, the Airbus A380.

While the industry has recovered since then, the number of these aircraft that were returned to service around the world was fewer than before, and based on the trends from the past few years, it is clear that the A380 is on its way out. So, for people who love the A380, here are 10 special routes they can fly on.

Milan To New York-JFK

A fifth freedom service across the Atlantic

The airline, which cannot be avoided when talking about the Airbus A380, is the largest customer of the type, Emirates, which subsequently also has the largest A380 network and operations in the world. Furthermore, while Emirates is known for its luxurious services and onboard experiences, the carrier is also famous for the global connectivity it offers from its hub at Dubai International Airport (DXB), and the wide number of fifth-freedom services it operates around the world.

One such service is Emirates’ flight connecting Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) in Italy, with New York JFK Airport (JFK), using the airline’s iconic A380. This is the schedule (all times are local):

This is a route on which Emirates offers its latest onboard products, including the airline’s Premium Economy product, and competes with the likes of Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. Furthermore, this service to JFK via MXP complements Emirates’ two daily services to JFK, which are also operated by the A380.

Bangkok To Hong Kong

The shortest daily A380 service in the world

Operating on a daily basis, data from Cirium shows that this fifth freedom flight operated by Emirates between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) is recorded to have an average distance of 1,048 miles (1687 km). Despite such a short distance, the route sees heavy competition from the likes of Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Express, and even carriers such as Ethiopian Airlines and United Airlines.

Considering no other airline on this route operates the A380, and most services are flown using much smaller narrowbody aircraft, the Emirates A380 automatically becomes the most luxurious option to fly between Bangkok and Hong Kong. Bangkok is a popular market, and data shows the destination is also seeing A380 operations from carriers such as Lufthansa and Qatar Airways (multiple daily frequencies).

These two destinations see enough demand that Emirates operates two daily direct flights to Hong Kong (one service with the A380 and the second with a Boeing 777-300ER), while serving Bangkok with five daily flights (four with the A380 and one with the 777-300ER), of which EK384 continues to Hong Kong.

Singapore To London Heathrow

One route, two airlines, three daily flights

Since London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is one of the most slot-constrained airports in the world, it is not surprising that a lot of carriers opt to serve the airport with the A380 as it enables them to carry more passengers per flight. Thus, it is not surprising that Singapore’s home carrier, Singapore Airlines, deploys the aircraft type twice a day, out of the four daily services it operates on this route.

However, the Australian carrier, Qantas, also deploys its A380 on this route as a fifth-freedom service. Together, the two carriers serve the route with three daily A380 services. Here are their schedules (all times are local):

While Qantas is able to serve LHR with the A380 via Singapore, the aircraft does not have the range capability to fly the route non-stop. However, this will change in the coming years, when Qantas takes delivery of the specially modified A350-1000 developed by Airbus for the carrier’s Project Sunrise.

Seoul To Frankfurt

This route is served by both Korean Air and Asiana.

With a distance of 5,322 miles (8,564 km), this route sees the A380 being deployed by two carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, both of which are based in Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN). The former has 18 flights scheduled this month in either direction, while Asiana has 23 services scheduled in either direction.

Fleet data shows that Korean has configured its A380s to accommodate 407 passengers across three different cabin classes. Asiana’s configuration allows the carrier to accommodate 495 passengers across two classes. While both airlines offer passengers access to a bar/lounge amenity onboard their A380s, Korean Air has gone a step further and has an onboard duty-free showcase available onboard.

However, with Korean’s acquisition of Asiana approved, it is possible that the Asiana brand may disappear in the future once the two carriers are fully integrated.

Dubai To Auckland

The world’s longest A380 service

For passengers looking to maximize the time they get to spend onboard an A380, especially those flying in premium cabins, the best option would be to jump on the world’s longest A380 service, which is the 8,810-mile (14,178 km) route connecting Dubai with Auckland, New Zealand, which is served by Emirates daily.

Data from the airline schedule shows the duration of the outbound service as 16 hours and 10 minutes, while the return service is blocked at 17 hours and 10 minutes. Unsurprisingly, the operational data from FlightRadar24 indicates slightly shorter durations of a little over 15 hours for the outbound service, while the return service does indicate flight durations of 16.5 hours to 17 hours.

Emirates previously had a much larger presence in Auckland when, about a decade ago, the carrier had operated fifth freedom A380 flights to Auckland from Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, before the airline launched a non-stop service.

Sydney To Christchurch

Another Emirates fifth freedom route

One of the key strengths of Emirates’ partnership and joint venture (JV) with Qantas has enabled EK to have a larger presence in the Australian market when compared to some of its competitors. As part of this JV and the traffic rights afforded by regulators, Emirates is able to operate on the Trans-Tasman corridor, and that too, with its A380.

Complimenting the aforementioned flight to Auckland, Emirates serves its second destination in New Zealand – Christchurch, via Sydney, Australia. Apart from EK, the route sees two daily flights from its partner, Qantas, which deploys its Boeing 737s, while Air New Zealand also competes on this route with two daily services with its fleet of Airbus A320neo family aircraft.

This essentially makes SYD-CHC another short and unusual route with a distance of 1,323 miles (2129 km), where passengers can enjoy the A380 experience, including Emirates’ premium economy product. This flight can also be booked by Qantas passengers via the airline’s website.

London Heathrow To Dubai

The busiest A380 route in the world

As established previously, London Heathrow is one of the most slot-constrained airports in the world, and Dubai is home to the largest fleet of A380s in the world. Therefore, it is not surprising that this route sees up to 12 flights a day, operated by four airlines, of which seven daily A380 services are operated in either direction by two carriers – Emirates and British Airways.

Emirates dominates the route with six daily A380 flights and a seventh service with a 777-300ER operated six days a week, while British Airways operates three daily flights, of which one service sees the A380. These seven A380 services accounted for over 3,400 seats per day on this route in either direction.

As for the remaining two services, one is operated by Virgin Atlantic, while the other is a fifth-freedom service operated by Royal Brunei on a thrice-weekly frequency. This route has previously seen up to eight daily A380s, in 2023, when British Airways briefly deployed the A380 twice a day on this route. This route has previously also seen Qantas operate its A380 as a fifth-freedom service, which has since reverted to being flown via Singapore.

Seoul To Tokyo Narita

While BKK – HKG is the shortest DAILY A380 service, ICN-NRT is the SHORTEST A380 service.

The aforementioned Emirates service connecting Hong Kong and Bangkok is the shortest A380 service that is available to book throughout this month. However, Korean Air and Asiana, together, are operating 10 flights this month between their home, Seoul Incheon, and Tokyo Narita, making it the shortest A380 route that can be flown this month, with a duration of just under two hours and the distance calculated equating to just 784 miles or 1,262 km (compared to 1,048 miles for BKK – HKG).

Data shows that Korean Air is scheduled to operate nine round-trip flights, while Asiana will operate a single round-trip service. Rather interestingly, data shows that this route is dominated by carriers from South Korea, with only a minor presence from Japanese carriers such as ZIP Air and Air Japan.

While the Japanese carriers, Japan Airlines and ANA, do not operate passenger services on this route, the airlines do operate cargo flights, where they compete with Korean Air and Asiana.

Dubai To São Paulo

The only South American destination

This route is unique in the sense that it is the only option available on the market for passengers looking to fly the A380 to and from the South American continent. Launched in 2007, it was not until 2017 that Emirates deployed the A380 on the route. Emirates operates its A380 to São Paulo, Brazil daily, with the flight distance covering an average of 7,591 miles (12,217 km), which accounts for flight durations of around 15 hours to GRU and around 13.5 hours back to Dubai.

This route also sees the airline’s four-class configured A380 with its newest cabins, ensuring passengers flying this ultra-long haul route are as comfortable as they can be. The carrier also complements São Paulo, with a second Brazilian destination, Rio de Janeiro; however, this is operated with the airline’s fleet of Boeing 777-300ERs.

The aforementioned 777 service to Rio continues onwards to Buenos Aires, Argentina, as a fifth-freedom service, and the carrier, before the pandemic, also operated flights to Santiago, Chile, via São Paulo, with its Boeing 777-200LR, which complemented the A380 operations.

Tokyo Narita To Honolulu

ANA’s three A380s are all used to serve a single route.

Of the A380 operators, All Nippon Airways (ANA), ordered the fewest number of A380s and has the smallest fleet of the type, consisting of just three aircraft. However, the airline ordered this for a very specific mission / route. To fly from Tokyo Narita Airport(NRT), Japan, to Honolulu International Airport (HNL), Hawaii.

Covering an average distance of 3,818 miles (6,144 km), the airline has scheduled its A380s to operate two daily round trips on this route. The outbound flight has a duration of around six hours to Honolulu, and the return flight usually takes just under nine hours.

The only competition on this route is Japan Airlines, which operates with a Boeing 767. This makes the A380 the most luxurious way to fly to the Pacific destination. Considering these A380s are specifically used to serve Hawaii, the airline has given each of the aircraft a special turtle-themed livery and has called these aircraft The Flying Honu.