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Emirates continues to adjust its Airbus A380 operations, which is primarily because of the ongoing war in Iran. The Gulf giant has confirmed that two US routes will no longer see the superjumbo either in September or for most of October. Compared to last September, the carrier’s A380 activity to the US has fallen by more than a quarter.
Each week, airlines from around the world submit schedule changes to Cirium Diio, OAG, and elsewhere. This encompasses everything, including new routes, markets that will end, frequency and capacity increases or decreases, equipment swaps, and altered operating periods. This process identified the latest changes on these two routes.
Emirates Suspends A380 Flights To Washington Dulles
The carrier had deployed the type from 
Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) until February 28, 2026, which was when the war commenced. Thereafter, flights on the long airport pair switched to the much lower-capacity Boeing 777-300ER. The A380 returned on August 1 and was due to operate daily thereafter.
The plan has now changed. The latest schedule update indicates that the first-class-equipped, 489-seat A380 will be deployed to IAD until August 31 and will return on October 25 at the very earliest. That’s when northern carriers, including Emirates, switch to winter schedules based on IATA slot seasons. It is possible that the length of the suspension will be increased. In the meantime, the first-class-equipped, 354-seat 777-300ER will continue to operate.
In March and April 2026, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) shows that Emirates only filled 50.7% of the available seats to/from IAD. And that was when the much lower-capacity 777 was deployed. Compared to the same two months in 2025, the load factor reduced from an already surprisingly low 62.6%. It’s no surprise that the A380 has been removed for less busy times of the year.
Compared to September 2025, IAD’s A380 activity has shrunk considerably, albeit from a fairly low base. Flights have fallen by two-thirds, with only 
Lufthansa operating the type there, with a daily service from 
Frankfurt Airport (FRA). It’s a true 
Star Alliance market. A year ago, both Emirates and 
British Airways operated, the latter obviously from 
London Heathrow Airport (LHR).
A380 Frequency | DXB To IAD; Local Times | IAD To DXB; Local Times** |
|---|---|---|
Daily | 2:25 AM-8:10 AM | 10:30 AM-8:15 AM+1 |
* In November/December | ** In November/December |
A380 Service Is Also Suspended To Houston
Emirates has also confirmed that the double-decker quadjet will also be temporarily removed from flights to 
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). The type was deployed to IAH until February 27, with the Texas airport having no Emirates flights — on any equipment — until May 2, when the A380 returned.
The previous plan was for the first-class-equipped, 484-seat A380 to fly to IAH through August 31 and return on October 1. The 276-seat 777-200ER, which does not have first class, was to be deployed in September. The new plan is slightly different.
The superjumbo will no longer be used to Texas between August 25 and October 24. Like IAD, the equipment is scheduled to return on October 25, but the plan has not been finalized. As the DOT data does not currently exist past April 2026, when Emirates did not serve IAH, a year-on-year comparison of the impact on March/April is not possible.
Emirates is one of two airlines to have used the A380 to IAH. The other is Lufthansa, which deployed the type from FRA — it’s a real Star route — between 2014 and 2019. As such, IAH will have no superjumbo flights in the nearly two months to October 25.
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Where Will Emirates’ A380s Fly To The US In September?
Let’s narrow the focus to next month. In those 30 days, five departures are now planned, down from seven in September 2025. As the numbers are relatively small, that’s a reduction of 28.6%. The type will be flown from DXB to New York 
John F. Kennedy International Airport (three daily, one via Milan Malpensa), Los Angeles (daily), and San Francisco (daily).
Along with A380 cuts from other operators, the US will have 14.7% fewer superjumbo services than last September. An average of 20 daily departures will now be available, with BA, Emirates, and Lufthansa coexisting with All Nippon, Asiana, Korean Air, and Qantas. Emirates will now have one in four departures (24.8%), down slightly year-over-year (29.6%).
