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Although the era of quadjets is coming to an end, with no four-engined aircraft currently in production, there are still a considerable number of these jets flying around the world. The last-generation quadjets include the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747-8. These two aircraft types are scheduled to operate over 94 thousand passenger flights cumulatively during the 2026 calendar year.
However, when evaluating the data further, it becomes clear that nearly 90% of these flights will be operated by the A380, drastically overshadowing the scheduled services of the 747-8. This guide will provide further details of the operations of the two aircraft types, along with identifying popular routes for each aircraft, and even compare the two quadjets.
Over 80,000 Flights Scheduled For The A380
The latest data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that the world’s largest passenger jet is scheduled to operate a total of 83,921 flights across the network of ten airlines. Of course, due to the carrier’s A380 fleet size, it is obvious that Dubai-based 
Emirates is responsible for the majority of these operations and routes on which the aircraft type can be seen.
Airbus delivered a total of 251 examples of the type, of which 123 airframes were sent to Emirates, and as per the airline’s fleet data, the carrier still has 116 of these jets within its fleet (albeit with a small portion of the fleet parked). Therefore, it also comes as no surprise that the route with the highest number of A380 services (2,066 flights in either direction) is the airline’s route connecting its hub, 
Dubai International Airport (DXB), with 
London Heathrow Airport (LHR). For the majority of the year, the airline is scheduled to operate six daily A380 services.
However, when excluding Emirates and its A380 operations to and from DXB, the route with the second-highest number of scheduled A380 flights (846) is that of Etihad, on its route connecting Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow. It is worth noting that while LHR is home to British Airways, which operates a fleet of 12 A380 aircraft, the airport also has the most diverse A380 operations. The airport receives A380 services from six of the ten operators of the aircraft.
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The 747-8 Has Over 10,000 Flights Scheduled
When considering the 747-8, the aircraft type is scheduled to operate only 10,131 flights, which accounts for 12.1% of the total number of A380 operations. All these services will be operated by just three carriers, including 
Lufthansa, Korean Air, and 
Air China.
However, a key reason that this number is very low is that the 747-8 was not as popular as the previous generation Boeing 747-400. Therefore, according to Boeing’s delivery data, the manufacturer only received orders for 48 of these aircraft, of which ten were for VIP and Private charters. This leaves 38 airframes that were delivered to commercial passenger operators, and this number has further reduced over the years.
The largest 747-8 passenger operation this year can be seen on Korean Air’s services between its hub at 
Incheon International Airport (ICN) and 
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), with the carrier scheduled to operate 533 services in either direction. The following table includes the details regarding the largest 747-8 operations of all three carriers:
Airline | Largest Route(s) | Number Of Flights (in the route’s direction) |
|---|---|---|
Lufthansa | FRA – EZE FRA – GRU / GRU – FRA FRA – JNB / JNB – FRA FRA – MEX / MEX – FRA | 365 |
Korean Air | ICN – LAX / LAX – ICN | 533 |
Air China | PEK – SHA | 368 |
However, if the 747-8’s cargo variant is to be considered, the number of flights across 2026 for the type would be significantly higher. This is because the Boeing 747-8F was more popular than the passenger version, and Boeing delivered a total of 107 examples of the variant. Additionally, if the entire 747 family is considered, then the number would increase further, considering the number of Boeing 747-400s (passenger and cargo) flights currently in operation.
The A380s Have More Seats, But The 747s Have Better Average Distances
While both aircraft types serve the high-capacity market segment, because the A380 offers two full passenger decks, the capacity of the aircraft is significantly higher than that of the 747. Although none of the operators have configured their aircraft cabins in an all-economy configuration, by design, the maximum exit limit for the A380 is 853 passengers, while the 747-8 has a limit of 605 passengers.
With more A380s operating at higher frequencies and carrying more passengers, the data shows that over 42 million seats on board the aircraft type will be available for sale throughout this year. Compared to this, the 747-8 only has around 3.7 million seats on sale this year. This naturally means other metrics, such as the Available Seat Miles (ASMs) favor the A380 over the 747-8 (171,830,180,988 vs 18,891,110,793).
When considering the average distance flown by these aircraft types, however, the global 747-8 fleet records a better average. While the A380 has an average flight distance of 4,121 miles (6,632 km), the 747-8 records 4,488 miles (7,222 km), which is approximately 9% more. However, when looking beyond averages, the data shows the A380 does operate several ultra-long-haul routes as well, with Emirates’ nonstop service to 
Auckland Airport (AKL) clocking in an average distance of 8,810 miles (14,178 km), making it the longest A380 flight in the world, and among the longest routes in general.
A Minor Overlap Of Aircraft Operators
Among the 13 operators for the A380 and the 747-8, there are only two carriers that operate both aircraft types. These are Lufthansa and Korean Air. Data from PlaneSpotters show that Lufthansa has eight A380 aircraft and 18 747-8s within its fleet, of which one aircraft is parked. The airline also operates the older 747-400 aircraft as well. As for Korean Air, data indicate the airline has six A380s, of which one is parked, and 11 747-8s, of which one is also parked. Like Lufthansa, the airline also operates a small fleet of the older-generation 747-400s.
However, in December, when Asiana gets fully integrated into Korean Air, the latter will also see the A380s belonging to Asiana join its fleet. This would then see Korean Air’s fleet of A380s double. The following shows the A380 and 747 fleets of the two airlines:
Airline | Airbus A380-800 | Boeing 747-8 | Boeing 747-400 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lufthansa | 8 | 18 | 8 | ||
Korean Air | Unified fleet under Korean Air after Asiana’s complete integration in December | 6 | 12 A380s in total | 11 | 4 |
Asiana | 6 | ||||
If Korean Air is to re-activate its parked A380s, along with those of Asiana, the carrier would essentially be in a three-way tie as the operator with the second-largest A380 fleet. Both Singapore Airlines and British Airways have a subfleet of 12 A380 aircraft. The added airframes and capacity can be particularly useful for the airline, especially when operating on routes that see high demand or airports with slot restrictions.
Comparing The Two Aircraft Types
Both aircraft were designed to primarily carry a large number of passengers between major hubs around the world. However, by the time the A380 and the 747-8 entered the market, the landscape across the industry had already changed, as airlines started focusing on operational efficiency and capacity flexibility, alongside aircraft range. Furthermore, the improvements in technology and the advent of ETOPS meant that twin-engine aircraft could offer more efficient metrics than quadjets.
This resulted in the A380 sales severely underperforming compared to the likes of the 747-400, which sold close to 700 units, and the sales of the next generation 747-8, which entered the market later than the A380, suffered even more. As per the manufacturer’s specification, the A380 can operate up to a range of 8,000 nautical miles (14,800 km) and can carry up to 853 passengers. Yet, most airlines configure these aircraft within the capacity range of 400 to 550 seats, in a three or four-class configuration.
As for the 747-8, the aircraft is designed to carry over 600 passengers. However, as seen with the A380, none of the operators utilize such a high-density configuration. According to aeroLOPA, Lufthansa’s 747-8s are configured with 348 seats (new configuration with Allegris seats), and the airline’s fleet page shows that its aircraft have a range of over 7,000 nautical miles (13,100 km).
Of course, the capacity being used by each operator influences the actual operational range of the aircraft. The low-density four-class A380 used by Emirates (468 seats), helps the airline operate nonstop services for longer distances, to destinations such as Auckland. That being said, the fact that these aircraft continue to operate today is a sign that there is a market segment that these aircraft can serve better than any other aircraft.
Replacement For The Giants
Although the number of these aircraft in service around the world continues to reduce, they are expected to continue operating into the next decade, with Emirates previously even hinting its A380s might be active into the 2040s. However, the exit of these aircraft from service is an inevitable conclusion.
While a perfect replacement is not available (especially for the A380), modern widebody aircraft such as the Airbus A350-1000, and the upcoming Boeing 777-9 jets do encroach on the high-capacity widebody aircraft territory. These aircraft are designed to carry several hundred passengers all over the world, with half the number of engines as the quadjets. Furthermore, the new technology and systems available for these aircraft will offer much better operating economics than the A380 and the 747-8.
Ultimately, these mammoth aircraft will eventually be replaced. While the A380 will most likely outlast the 747-8, the freighter variant, 747-8F (and probably even the 747-400F), will outlast the A380, because cargo aircraft generally have extended lifespans.
