Qantas and Emirates are preparing to phase out the single Airbus A380, the plane that revolutionized commercial air travel, with the planes fitted with luxury suites, showers, bars and lounges. But A380 fans looking to enjoy the superjumbo experience will still have many years to make the most of the only double-decker aircraft.
Both airlines began flying the A380 in 2008, a year after it entered operational service alongside Singapore Airline, with their retirement due over the next 10 years.
Speaking at an aviation industry meeting in Istanbul, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said the company's ten Airbus A380s will leave the fleet in the next decade. The retirement of the A380s will be phased in once the new Airbus A350s are received and introduced on long-haul flights. From 2025, Qantas plans to introduce the new A350s on Project Sunrise routes to destinations such as London and New York. And Boeing 787 aircraft will be introduced on long-haul flights, with Qantas looking to add more non-stop flights to destinations such as Chicago, Seattle and Paris.
Emirates, for its part, sees a similar timeline to that of Qantas. Emirates chairman Sir Tim Clark confirmed at the same meeting in Istanbul that Emirates will continue to fly the Airbus A380 for the next decade, with the A380s to be phased out from 2032.
Emirates is considering strengthening its post-superjumbo fleet with more Airbus A350s and Boeing 777s. An order has recently been placed for 50 x A350s and 117 x Boeing 777Xs. However, Clark is convinced that Airbus should have continued with the modernization of the A380 instead of closing the program. All in all, you'll be able to enjoy the Emirates and Qantas A380 experience for another 10 years, at least!