A lot of travellers enjoy the treat of taking a flight on the Airbus A380 superjumbo. There are eight carriers who operate this aircraft on flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
By number of A380 seats available, Sydney Airport ranks number 5 in the whole world. Melbourne is ranked 14, whilst Emirates’ hub Dubai by far is the busiest A380 airport.
Why do people like the A380?
- Reduces jetlag by circulating more oxygen through the cabin
- More room to get up and walk around
- Better for the environment than older planes as it’s more fuel-efficient
- Engines are quieter than older planes
- Carries many of the world’s best First Class products
- Seven airlines have onboard bars for First and Business Class passengers
- Two airlines have onboard showers for First Class passengers
Why don’t people like the A380?
- Restricted to high-traffic routes like Sydney to Singapore
- Can take a while to board due to high number of passengers
Which routes does the A380 fly on to and from Australia?
| Origin | Destination | Airline |
| Sydney | Abu Dhabi | Etihad |
| Christchurch | Emirates | |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | Qantas | |
| Doha | Qatar Airways | |
| Dubai | Emirates | |
| Guangzhou | China Southern | |
| Hong Kong | Qantas | |
| Los Angeles | Qantas | |
| Seoul | Asiana & Korean Air | |
| Singapore | Qantas & Singapore Airlines | |
| Melbourne | Doha | Qatar Airways |
| Dubai | Emirates | |
| Los Angeles | Qantas | |
| Singapore | Qantas & Singapore Airlines | |
| Brisbane | Dubai | Emirates |
| Perth | Doha | Qatar Airways |
| Dubai | Emirates |
Which airlines fly the A380?
To and from Australia, Emirates operates the most A380 flights, followed by Qantas, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. Etihad, Asiana, Korean Air and China Southern also run A380s to Australia.
Frequently asked questions
Emirates by far has the highest number of Airbus A380s in its fleet, numbering over 110. Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa follow.
The maximum amount of passengers that an A380 can hold is 853. However, Airbus says the ‘typical’ layout holds 525 passengers. For example, Qantas has 484 seats on its A380s.
No, Qantas’ A380 aircraft do not feature wifi.
The listing price for an Airbus A380 is approximately US$445 million.
Summing up
Flying on one of the A380 superjumbos is a special experience for many, especially when flying towards the pointy end of the plane. We’re lucky in Australia to have so many airlines flying the A380 here, especially to Sydney.
However, the economics of the A380 have worsened in the past few years, meaning that airlines are moving towards smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Therefore, if you haven’t tried the A380 yet, or if you are a big fan of it, my advice would be to make the most of flying in the next few years as it will probably start to disappear.
You can check out all of our A380 flight reviews here.
What is your take on the Airbus A380? Share your opinion in the comments below.
It’s friction from the airflow over the plane. That’s why some sections of certain aircraft are particularly noisy e.g. 747s on the upper deck front rows – this is because if you look at the 747 from outside, it’s not ‘smooth’ in that section. More angles = more friction = more noise.
As observed by Andrew M, the A380 is definitely the quietest aircraft followed closely by the A350 / A330 with the Boeings miles behind. Dreamliner, yeah right… But the Airbus planes are the quietest due to better design IMHO. They have smoother lines, meaning less of that horrible noise that is so fatiguing…
Having just gone SQ First Suites on the A380 from LHR – SIN with my wife on our Silver Anniversary trip, I hope the A380s fly for ever!!! That was heaven on a stick.
Have flown it in economy (Qantas, Emirates and Singapore), business (Emirates), and first (Qantas) and I love it in all of them.
I rate it higher than the A350, and the Dreamliner. If given the choice I’d take the A380 over any other plane. They are such a pleasure to fly.
It’ll be a sad day when they no longer fly.