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Emirates is no longer flying the Airbus A380 to the ever-popular destination of Bali/Denpasar. To make it even more intriguing, the decision appears to have not really been in its own hands. It looks like it might have been effectively forced to do it by the Indonesian authorities.
The story was first identified by One Mile At A Time. But as the situation is so different and unusual, it is worth considering here. Of course, any route that no longer deploys the superjumbo, whether voluntarily or not, is notable. Likewise, any major cuts, such as Lufthansa’s double-decker service to Denver this year, or broader network changes.
Emirates’ A380s To Bali
The Gulf giant first deployed the superjumbo to Bali in June 2023. Since then, flights have nearly always operated daily. However, Cirium Diio data indicate that the type operated twice-daily in September and October 2024. In all instances, the most unusual of configurations was flown: the non-first-class, two-class, 615-seat A380. Given that nearly all the demand is from leisure passengers, that is hardly surprising.
Flightadar24 indicates that the A380 was last used to Bali on January 16. This chimes with the airline’s schedule submission to Cirium. The latest information suggests that the type will return to the Indonesian destination on February 25. However, it is quite possible that this will change.
Whether temporarily or not, the 615-seat A380 has been replaced by the Boeing 777-300ER. While the first-class, 354-seat configuration is scheduled at times this month, the non-first-class, two-class, 421-seater will primarily appear. Needless to say, this has nearly a third fewer seats per flight than the Airbus equipment it has replaced.
|
Frequency |
Dubai To Bali; Local Times* |
Bali To Dubai; Local Times** |
|---|---|---|
|
Daily |
EK368: 3:25 am-4:30 pm (was A380, now 777-300ER) |
EK399: 12:25 am-5:45 am (777-300ER) |
|
Daily |
EK398: 9:10 am-10:20 pm (777-300ER) |
EK369: 7:50 pm-1:10 am+1 (was A380, now 777-300ER) |
|
* Based on the first week of February. Shown in Simple Flying’s new time format |
* Based on the first week of February. Shown in Simple Flying’s new time format |
Hang On: Why Is The A380 No Longer Used?
Speaking at the Indonesian Aviation Association recently, Lukman Laisa, Indonesia’s Director General of Civil Aviation, stated that he had wanted three things as a condition for Emirates’ continued use of the A380 to Bali.
First, the creation of a maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility (MRO) in Indonesia. Second, for Emirates to employ more Indonesian pilots and cabin crew, including use on Indonesia-bound routes, which might make scheduling difficult. Third, it wants additional Indonesian routes, aside from Bali and Jakarta. Such a negotiating stance is highly unusual. It is an exceptional case when a country blocks the deployment of a specific aircraft type, assuming there is no safety problem, which there clearly isn’t.
Indonesia is perhaps acting in quite a short-sighted manner. After all, deploying the 777-300ER—even the 421-seater—instead of the 615-seat A380 means far fewer tourists, around which Bali revolves. This may have widespread economic consequences, although that depends on how long the situation persists.
In an intriguing twist, Gede Eka Sandi Asmadi, the Communication and Legal Division Head of Denpasar Airport, suggests that Emirates is not prohibited from using the A380 to Bali. Instead, it is contended that it was removed because it is the low season, with the consequent decrease in capacity reflecting lower demand. Emirates has been contacted for comment.
Big Change: Lufthansa Slashes Airbus A380 Flights To Denver
A surprising twist in the skies over Denver: Lufthansa’s superjumbo plans take a turn.
Over 550,000 Passengers Transferred In Dubai
Booking data for the 12 months to November 2025 shows that more than 550,000 round-trip passengers connected in Dubai to reach Bali. Unsurprisingly, the bulk of the traffic—about 80%—flew to/from Europe. North America was second (7%), followed by the Middle East (6%) and Africa (5%).
The UK was the most popular country market. In fact, Emirates carried more UK-Bali passengers than any other carrier. Germany was second, and then the Netherlands, France, the US, Russia, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Spain.
At the airport level, Amsterdam-Bali had the most passengers. Paris CDG was next, followed by Frankfurt, Moscow Domodedovo, London Heathrow, Warsaw, London Gatwick, Manchester, Düsseldorf, and Jeddah. At the city level, London-Bali was first.
