Airbus A380 Family

The Airbus A380 was produced in a single passenger variant, the A380-800, with a full-length double-deck configuration seating 525 passengers in three classes or up to 853 in all-economy. A proposed A380-900 stretch and A380F freighter were cancelled.

The A380 is the largest passenger aircraft ever built at 72.7 meters long with a 79.8-meter wingspan. Its full double-deck design allows premium amenities like onboard showers (Emirates), bars, and lounges. It requires a minimum 45-meter-wide runway and was designed for hub-to-hub operations.

Emirates is by far the largest operator with 118 A380s, representing about half of all deliveries. Other operators include Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Lufthansa, British Airways, and Korean Air. Several airlines (Air France, Thai Airways) retired their A380 fleets following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The A380 first flew on April 27, 2005, and entered service with Singapore Airlines on October 25, 2007. Airbus ended production in 2021 after delivering 251 aircraft. The program struggled with insufficient orders as airlines shifted to smaller, more efficient twins like the A350 and 787 for point-to-point routes.