Quartz
Subscribe
Quartz
Subscribe
Edition
Business News
A.I.
Technology
Money & Markets
Leadership
Lifestyle
Latest

Get Quartz in your inbox

Free daily briefing on global business news.

Business News
AirlinesAutomobilesFoodPharmaceuticalsPolitics & GovernmentRetail & EcommerceSpace & AerospaceEarnings
Technology
A.I.ComputingConsumer TechSpace & AerospaceEarnings
Money & Markets
Economic IndicatorsMarketsPersonal FinanceEarnings
Lifestyle
Cars & BikesCollectingEntertainmentFood & Fine DiningHealth and FitnessReal EstateTravel
Airlines

Mapped: Everywhere the A380 flies

The worlds’s largest passenger airplane is losing its luster. Airlines like Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and Malaysia Airlines are all making plans to reduce the amount of service they fly on the Airbus A380 jumbo-jet. Airbus, for its part, has cut production by 55%.

By David Yanofsky·1 min read·Updated July 21, 2022
Add QZ to Google

The worlds’s largest passenger airplane is losing its luster. Airlines like Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and Malaysia Airlines are all making plans to reduce the amount of service they fly on the Airbus A380 jumbo-jet. Airbus, for its part, has cut production by 55%.

The plane is currently flown by 13 airlines out of 57 airports. The routes average more than 4000 miles (6500 km—London to Miami, for example).

There are shorter routes, like Emirate’s 45 minute hop from Dubai to Kuwait City and China Southern’s three-hour 1,000-mile trip between Chengdu and Beijing.

A decline of service on the A380 isn’t just a bummer for traveling fans, it could inconvenience airports too. Upgrades were needed to be made all over the surface and buildings of airports to accommodate the larger and heavier plane. Without service from the A380 (or Boeing $BA’s similarly declining 747) those improvements will sit idle.

Stuffed full of economy seats, the plane can seat well over 800 passengers, though none use that configuration. Most airlines use the extra space on the two-level plane for large areas of plush business and first class seating. (Some have even installed showers and in-air cocktail lounges).

Daily Brief

The essential business news, delivered fresh every morning.

Join 500,000+ readers who start their day with Quartz.

By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Quartz

Global business news for a smarter world

Topics

  • Business News
  • Money & Markets
  • Tech & Innovation
  • Generation A.I.
  • Lifestyle
  • Leadership

Products

  • Daily Brief
  • Weekly Digest
  • Member Benefits
  • Quartz Pro

Legal

  • Sitemap
  • About
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Service
  • Advertising

© 2026 Quartz Media, Inc. All rights reserved.