dailynewsnblog
In the latest schedule update, 
Emirates disclosed that it’ll double Airbus A380 flights to 
Madrid. The superjumbo will now operate twice daily, a frequency that was last available before the pandemic in early 2020.
It is the latest in a string of A380 changes. Other recent developments include the type not being used to London Gatwick in October/November and being withdrawn from Copenhagen entirely. More positively, Etihad has reactivated its final frame, while Singapore Airlines will use the double-decker to Dubai.
Emirates Doubles A380 Flights To Madrid
The Spanish capital has been part of the Gulf giant’s network since August 2010. According to Cirium Diio data, it has deployed multiple types and variants there: the A330-200, A340-300, A380, 777-200ER, 777-200LR, and—most common of all—the 777-300ER.
The A380 has been used to Madrid since August 2015. Between then and the end of 2026, 44% of flights have been on it. For the most part, the type operated daily. A double daily service was first offered in September 2017, with this frequency last available on a regular basis in March 2020. However, two daily flights were briefly available in 2022.
Emirates currently serves Madrid twice daily: once on the 332-seat 777-300ER and once on the 517-seat A380. However, the latest schedule indicates that it’ll become all-A380 again from June 1, in time for the peak summer with the highest demand. The plan sees this frequency until November 30, after which it’ll become a daily 777 and a daily A380 again.
From June 1, one flight will be on the 517-seater, while the other will be on the 468-seater, which is Emirates’ lowest-capacity superjumbo. Some 1,970 seats for sale will be available, up 16% compared to what was previously scheduled. Many more premium economy and economy seats will be available. But the most interesting addition is that the 468-seater means that Madrid will now have more premium economy seats than ever before.
|
Frequency |
Dubai To Madrid; Local Times* |
Madrid To Dubai; Local Times** |
|---|---|---|
|
Daily |
7:40 am-1:30 pm (A380) |
3:25 pm-12:35 am+1 (A380) |
|
Daily |
2:30 pm-8:20 pm (A380; replaces the 777-300ER |
10:10 pm-7:15 am+1 (A380; replaces the 777-300ER) |
|
* Shown in Simple Flying’s new time format |
** Shown in Simple Flying’s new time format |
Where Emirates’ Madrid Passengers Go
According to booking data for the 12 months to November 2025, more than 355,000 Madrid passengers connected to another flight in Dubai. More than 970 people did so daily. Thailand was the most popular country market. With about 22% of that market, Emirates was the second-largest operator, after Etihad Airways.
Australia was Emirates’ second most popular country to/from the Spanish capital, followed by India, Japan, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, the Maldives, and Vietnam. Emirates was only the leading operator to/from Australia, the Philippines, and the Maldives. It was usually second or third, or sometimes even further down the list, especially for Japan, China, and Taiwan.
More people flew Madrid-Dubai-Bangkok than anywhere else. Taipei was second; it is unusual for Taiwan to feature so prominently from Europe. Malé was third, followed by Tokyo, Manila, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, and Melbourne. Despite India being a decent-sized market from Madrid, no Indian city made the top ten list, while multiple cities in Northeast Asia did. That’s the reverse of what’s usually the case for Emirates.
Emirates Withdraws Airbus A380 From London Gatwick: But There’s A Twist
A surprising shift at Gatwick: Emirates makes a temporary change that will impact passengers.
19 Airports Will Have At Least A Twice-Daily A380 Service In June
When Madrid returns to being a twice-daily A380 operation in June, Emirates will fly the type to 51 airports globally from its Dubai hub. The latest information is that 19 of these airports will see the superjumbo at least twice daily.
Two of the 19 airports will have four or more daily departures: London Heathrow (six daily) and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (four daily; one flight continues to Hong Kong). Seven airports will have three daily superjumbo flights: Cairo, Jeddah, Manchester, New York JFK (one via Milan Malpensa), Paris CDG, Singapore, and Sydney (one flight continues to Christchurch).
The remaining ten airports will have a twice-daily A380 operation: Amsterdam, Hong Kong (one service is via Bangkok), London Gatwick, Madrid, Melbourne, Mauritius, Milan Malpensa (one flight continues to JFK), Moscow Domodedovo, Munich, and Zurich.
