Emirates Takes Delivery Of Final Production Airbus A380 Superjumbo Airliner

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In mid-December, Emirates took delivery of the final production Airbus A380 superjumbo airliner. The delivery marked the 123rd A380 to Emirates, and the 251st A380 delivery overall. (Photo courtesy of Airbus.)

Airbus marked the end of an era in mid-December when it delivered the last superjumbo A380 passenger jet it will manufacture to Emirates, the largest customer for the world’s largest passenger jet. The A380 shipment was the 123rd to Emirates and the 251st A380 delivery overall. The commercial aircraft manufacturer announced plans in 2019 to end production of the double-deck, four-engine A380, which seats 545 passengers in a typical four-class configuration but can seat as many as 853.

Growth & Success

Airbus says that when it created the A380 in response to worldwide airport congestion, seeking along the way to build an aircraft capable of serving global hubs, its goals quickly proved to be closely aligned with those of Emirates. Airlines use the A380 to transport passengers to more than 70 global destinations; the aircraft is compatible with 400 airports. Since entering service in 2007, the A380 has flown in excess of 300 million passengers across more than 800,000 flights and logged 7.3 million flight hours. Emirates’ A380 fleet serves 50 destinations, 12 of which include A380 maintenance centres.

“Emirates has built its growth and success with the A380,” says Bertrand George, head of the Airbus A380 programme. “Each new A380 is an opportunity for Emirates to offer passengers a new experience in terms of cabin comfort and choice of destination, taking full advantage of the business model offered by the A380.”

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Billed as the world’s largest passenger jet, the double-deck Airbus A380 can seat a maximum of 853 passengers; in a typical four-class configuration it can seat up to 545 passengers. (Photo courtesy of Airbus.)

Next-Level Passenger Comfort

Equipped with either four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP 7200 engines, the A380 has a 15,000-kilometre (8,100-nautical-mile) range and a maximum long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85. Its two passenger decks span 500 square metres (5,380 square feet), equal to three single tennis courts, Airbus says. The aircraft offers a number of luxury appointments, such as passenger showers in first class. Michael Lau, A380 industrial designer in Hamburg, says the showers, lighting scenarios, premium economy cabin, and other innovations developed on the Emirates cabin were firsts for Airbus.

The premium economy cabin is available on Emirates’ six newest A380s and offers comfort and amenities that rank between those of economy and business class. Airbus says 52 of Emirates’ 123 A380s will be retrofitted with premium economy cabins in coming months. The manufacturer adds that it will also continue fully supporting all A380 operators and their fleets moving forward.

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Airbus says that in the coming months Emirates will retrofit 52 of its 123 A380s to create a premium economy cabin, with comfort and amenities ranking between economy and business class. (Photo courtesy of Airbus.)

“While Emirates takes passenger comfort to the next level on the A380, the aircraft itself offers features that have transformed the passenger's idea of air travel,” Lau says. “The double-deck fuselage, the cabin area, and its technologies are unique. The A380 is particularly quiet, giving the feeling of calm to passengers onboard. This experience is shared by everyone, from passengers to pilots and crew. This has helped transform the attention that Airbus and the airlines now pay to passengers."

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Source: Airbus