As a popular long-haul destination, Australia has always been a hotspot as far as Airbus A380 operations are concerned. Indeed, alongside flag carrier Qantas, June 2026-February 2027 will see four more airlines flying their superjumbos down under: Asiana Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines.

However, did you know that, over the years, a further four operators have also used their A380 fleets on routes to and from Australia? While these particular flights no longer exist, examining their periods of operation can lend an interesting insight into the changing map of A380 routes worldwide.

Etihad Airways Was The Top Former Operator

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According to aviation data and analytics provider, Cirium, Etihad Airways operated by far the most A380 flights to Australia, even though it is not the carrier with the longest period of time spent serving the nation with its superjumbos. All in all, data shows that from 2015 to 2020, it scheduled a grand total of 2,709 A380 departures from its main hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) to two destinations: Melbourne and Sydney.

Of this figure, Melbourne Airport (MEL) in the state of Victoria only accounted for 515 flights across two years: 214 in 2016 and 301 in 2017. Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) in New South Wales, however, handled 2,194 Etihad A380 flights between 2015 and 2020, with the annual total peaking at a whopping 681 back in 2018. SYD Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Mather explained how the airport is working to increase passenger capacity in 2017.

“We’ve continued to invest in airport improvements to increase capacity in order to support these larger aircraft, and we’re thrilled that Sydney Airport will finish the year as the fourth largest A380 hub in the world.”

China Southern Airlines & Korean Air Also Used To Fly Their A380s Down Under

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Much like Etihad, China Southern Airlines also used A380s to fly to both MEL and SYD back in the day. It did so from its hub at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), with 767 A380 departures to Sydney alone between 2013 and 2022.

2015 was the peak in terms of annual frequency for this route, with 127 China Southern A380 flights scheduled from Guangzhou. On the other hand, Melbourne was served for a shorter period and at a lower frequency: there were 33 A380 flights in 2020, 45 in 2021, and only three in 2022.

Korean Air differs from the other airlines in the sense that it only flew A380s to one destination in Australia, with Sydney getting the nod ahead of Melbourne. Between 2015 and 2020, the carrier scheduled a grand total of 708 Sydney-bound superjumbo departures from its main hub at Incheon International Airport (ICN) in the South Korean capital city of Seoul. Its frequency peaked in 2019, when there were 155.

Malaysia Airlines’ Minimal Presence

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Last but not least, Malaysia Airlines is the fourth carrier to have previously operated A380 flights to and from Australia. However, the country was far from a typical destination for the carrier’s superjumbos, with just 76 one-way Australia-bound departures scheduled between 2015 and 2019 from its main hub at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). Of this total, just seven served Melbourne, with all of these flights coming in 2018.

The vast majority of the remaining 69 Sydney-bound Malaysia Airlines’ A380 also operated in 2018, with 64 flights penciled in that year. These services were flanked by two rotations in 2015 and three in 2019. According to fleet data from Planespotters.net, the carrier flew a total of six A380s over the years, with these jets arriving between May 2012 and March 2013. However, they were all withdrawn in 2020.