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Pete Syme

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Do you fancy flying on the world's largest passenger jet?

The Airbus A380 has awed passengers for nearly 20 years. With a 262-foot wingspan, the superjumbo jet wouldn't fit on an NFL field.

Business Insider has compiled all the routes that it will fly this winter, based on Cirium data for November's schedule.

You can search for different cities in this table, then scroll down for more details about the airlines operating the A380.

Airbus spent decades developing the double-decker airplane as an answer to the Boeing 747. It announced the project in 1990, but the A380 didn't enter service until 2007.

It has had a turbulent life ever since, falling in and out of popularity.

The European planemaker expected high demand for enormous aircraft due to the rise of airport megahubs like Dubai. It was ideal for Emirates, which operates the overwhelming majority of A380s.

However, many airlines preferred to fly point-to-point. Twin-jet aircraft like the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 offer plenty of seats, greater flexibility, and lower operating costs.

The COVID-19 pandemic also prompted many airlines to rethink their strategies amid cost pressures. Air France and Malaysia Airlines were among those to retire all their A380s.

Airbus built the last new A380 in 2021.

While COVID was a major blow, many airlines fell back in love with the superjumbo when lockdowns lifted.

Lufthansa retired all 14 of its A380s during the pandemic but has brought back eight of them since 2022. Etihad Airways reactivated six jets, too.

Meanwhile, Qantas restarted A380 flights between Sydney and Dallas/Fort Worth last August, for the first time since the pandemic. A year later, though, the Australian flag carrier said it was bringing forward its retirement of the planes to 2028.

Back in 2017, there were more than 10,000 flights a month operated by the A380. While that has since fallen to 7,500 for November, it seems there is still some life left in the superjumbo.

1. Emirates

Dubai's airline is by far the world's largest operator of the A380, with over nine times as many as any other operator.

Emirates has a total of 117, of which 85 are actively flying as of September, according to fleet data from ch-aviation. 13 are in storage, and 19 are undergoing maintenance.

Like its rival Middle Eastern airlines, Emirates' A380 is highly luxurious — with business-class passengers able to visit the bar or even book a shower.

The airline's president, Tim Clark, told Business Insider last year that he'd like Airbus to build a new version of the A380 with more fuel-efficient engines.

Emirates' plethora of planes comes with a similarly broad route map. Brace yourself for an extensive list.

Emirates flies the A380 between Dubai and Amman, Jordan; Amsterdam; Auckland, New Zealand; Bangkok; Barcelona; Bengaluru, India; Birmingham, England; Brisbane, Australia; Cairo; Casablanca, Morocco; Copenhagen, Denmark; Denpasar, Indonesia; Düsseldorf, Germany; Frankfurt, Germany; Glasgow, Scotland; Guangzhou, China; Hong Kong; Houston; Istanbul; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Johannesburg; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; London; Los Angeles; Madrid; Manchester, England; Mauritius; Melbourne, Australia; Milan; Moscow; Mumbai, India; Munich; New Delhi; New York; Nice, France; Osaka, Japan; Paris; Perth, Australia; Prague; Rome; San Francisco; São Paulo; Seoul; Shanghai; Singapore; Sydney; Taipei; Tokyo; Toronto; Vienna; Washington, DC; and Zurich.

Emirates also operates three fifth-freedom flights with the A380, between Christchurch, New Zealand, and Sydney; Bangkok and Hong Kong; and Milan and New York.

2. British Airways

British Airways has 12 Airbus A380s. According to ch-aviation, two of those are undergoing maintenance, and another is in storage, as of September.

As part of a $9 billion "transformation program," BA is retrofitting its A380s with an upgraded first class.

"The A380 is an important part of our fleet and rightfully, incredibly popular with our customers," Neil Chernoff, BA's chief planning and strategy officer, previously told Business Insider.

BA flies the A380 between London Heathrow and Johannesburg, Miami, San Francisco, and Singapore

3. Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines also has a fleet of 12 double-decker jets, having retired seven due to the pandemic.

The carrier is one of just 10 to receive a five-star rating from Skytrax. It named Singapore Airlines' business class the second-best, behind Qatar Airways, but the best for first class.

The airline offers enormous suites on its A380s, each with an armchair and a bed. Two of these can also be uniquely combined to create a double bed.

Singapore flies the A380 between Singapore Changi Airport and Auckland, London, Melbourne, Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, and Sydney.

4. Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways cleaned up at last year's Skytrax awards, winning both best airline and best business class.

Like Emirates, the airline's A380 includes a bar for business-class passengers. It also has huge bathrooms, but lacks showers.

Qatar's A380s, perhaps surprisingly, don't feature its flagship business-class product, the QSuite, which you'll find on the A350, Boeing 777, and 787.

Following delays to the Boeing 777X, Qatar reversed plans to retire the A380.

Its former CEO, Akbar Al-Bakar, said in 2021 that buying the planes was a "big mistake," given their high operating costs.

However, on the sidelines of 2024's Farnborough Airshow, his successor Badr Mohammed Al-Meer — who has since left the CEO position — said the quad-engine was getting a new lease of life.

Qatar has eight A380s, which it operates between Doha and Bangkok, London, and Paris.

5. Qantas

Australian flag carrier Qantas has 10 A380s.

It flies them from Sydney to Dallas/Fort Worth, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, and Singapore — from which it also continues to London.

Plus, the A380 is sometimes used on flights from Melbourne to Los Angeles.

A severe storm warning and "incredibly high" demand during Taylor Swift's Australian tour last year saw Qantas use a spare A380 to fly Swifties from Melbourne to Sydney.

6. Etihad

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways is the third-most prominent operator in the Middle East, often overshadowed by Emirates and Qatar.

However, its A380s are unique in offering the most extravagant ticket in commercial aviation: The Residence.

For $24,000, you can book the only three-room suite on an airliner, complete with a bedroom and shower.

Etihad has 9 A380s, but one is in storage, according to ch-aviation.

It flies them from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok, London, Singapore, and Toronto.

7. Lufthansa

The German flag carrier has a fleet of eight A380s.

It appears to prefer the only other double-decker jet, as Lufthansa operates the most Boeing 747 jets of any passenger airline.

Lufthansa initially retired all 14 of its A380s during the pandemic before changing its mind as travel demand bounced back. The other six were sold back to Airbus, Airways Magazine reported in 2023.

Lufthansa's A380s go between Munich and Bangkok, Los Angeles, New Delhi, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.

8. Korean Air

Korean Air is one of four airlines on this list, and 11 around the world, to be rated five stars by Skytrax.

It has five A380s, according to ch-aviation. It flies them on only one route: between Seoul's Incheon Airport and New York's JFK.

Back in 2021, CEO Walter Cho told FlightGlobal that its A380s would be retired by 2026, but delivery delays and high travel demand have seen their lifespan extended.

9. Asiana Airlines

Asiana Airlines has six A380s, one of which is in storage and another undergoing maintenance as of September, per ch-aviation's fleet data.

During the pandemic, Asiana flew empty superjumbos to keep its pilots certified.

The second Seoul-based carrier on this list, Asiana, has merged with Korean Air. For now, it's operated as a subsidiary but will use the same name from 2027.

Until then, Asiana regularly flies these jets from Seoul to Bangkok, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Sydney.

10. ANA

ANA is the newest Airbus A380 customer, as its first was delivered in 2019.

The Japanese airline has three in total, which it flies between Tokyo's Narita Airport and Honolulu.

ANA is another five-star airline, with an impressive business-class product. But you'll need to fly on a Boeing 777 to experience "The Room" — or in first class, "The Suite," which includes a 43-inch TV.

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Pete Syme

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Pete Syme is an aviation reporter for Business Insider, based in London.He writes about all things related to the industry, from aviation safety and CEO interviews to route reveals and airplane tours. Pete also uses data for industry analyses and to visualize breaking news events.Before joining Business Insider in 2022, he graduated with an MA in Newspaper Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English from the University of Exeter.

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