Summary

  • The Airbus A380 is designed for long-haul flights but has a shorter range compared to other aircraft models.
  • Qantas holds the record for the longest-ever A380 flight, traveling 16,105 kilometers from Dresden to Sydney.
  • Currently, Emirates operates the longest non-stop A380 flight from Dubai to Auckland, covering 7,655 nautical miles.

As of December 2023, the Airbus A380 can be seen operating around 1,603 weekly flights, utilized by ten airlines globally (British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Korean Air, Lufthansa, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines). But which of these companies operates the longest non-stop route onboard the double-decker? Let’s find out.

Designed for long-haul operations

While the Airbus A380 was perfectly designed to support long-haul hub-to-hub operations and provide the traveler with an outstanding passenger experience, it is not known for its range, particularly when compared to efficient twinjets such as the Boeing 787-8, Boeing 777-200ULR, Airbus A350-900, and Airbus A350-1000.

AN Emirates Airbus A380 on an airport apron.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.

However, the A380 still manages to connect some impressive city pairs. The aircraft has a range of 8,200 nautical miles (15,200 kilometers). In comparison, the A350-900 can fly efficiently on routes of up to 9,700 nautical miles (18,000 kilometers) non-stop. The A350-1000 can fly up to 8,700 nautical miles (16,112 kilometers).

Per ch-aviation, 143 Airbus A380s are currently active globally (out of 212 that remain in airlines’ fleets; the rest are inactive). Unsurprisingly, Emirates has the largest number of active A380s with 87. The other two companies with double-digit A380s are Singapore Airlines, with ten active, and British Airways, with 11.

The longest A380 flight ever

Despite Emirates’ massive number of the type, connecting far-reaching destinations, according to The Independent, a Qantas flight holds the record for the longest-ever A380 flight. It took place four years ago, taking off on December 19th, 2019. This was achieved without any onboard passengers, which would extend its range a fair bit. The A380, registered as VH-OQH and given the name “Reginald Ansett” by Qantas, completed the 16,105 kilometers (8,696 nautical miles) route from Dresden, Germany (DRS) to Sydney, Australia (SYD) landing on December 20th, 2019.

VH-OQB Qantas Airbus A380-842 (1)
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.

The non-commercial flight, void of passengers and cargo, lasted 18 hours and 26 minutes. The Independent reported that the aircraft had spent several weeks in Dresden, upgrading its interiors. In December 2023, Qantas sent another Airbus A380 on this route.

Unfortunately, within a matter of months, the world would fully realize the seriousness of the global health crisis, leaving VH-OQH nowhere to go and no one to transport for months, and parked in Victorville, California. It is now active and can be seen on flights such as QF11 between Sydney and Los Angeles and QF1 and QF2 between Sydney and London via Singapore.

Longest commercial flight nowadays

As far as regularly scheduled flights go, we look to the UAE. Emirates is currently operating the longest non-stop Airbus A380 flight, according to data from Cirium. As this is as of December 2023, the route could eventually be overtaken or changed at any time.

A map of Asia and Oceania, showing the map for Emirates; longest non stop flight using the Airbus A380.
Photo: Great Circle Mapper.

The Dubai-based airline operates the route between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Auckland International Airport (AKL) in New Zealand. This service is 7,655 nautical miles (14178 kilometers) long. It is operated daily with the call sign EK448.

In fact, Emirates operates the first four longest non-stop Airbus A380 flights in December 2023. The other flights are Dubai-Los Angeles (7,272 nautical miles), Dubai-Houston (7,095 nautical miles), and Dubai-San Francisco (7,039 nautical miles). Qantas Operates the fifth longest, which connects Melbourne to Los Angeles (6,882 nautical miles).

And which one is the shortest? It is Asiana Airlines’ Seoul Incheon-Tokyo Narita service, operated daily. The distance between both cities is 681 nautical miles (1,261 kilometers).

Which routes have you flown onboard the Airbus A380? Let us know in the comments below.

  • rsz_airbus_50th_years_anniversary_formation_flight_-_air_to_air
    Airbus
    Stock Code:
    AIR
    Date Founded:
    1970-12-18
    CEO:
    Guillaume Faury
    Headquarters Location:
    Toulouse, France
    Key Product Lines:
    Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380
    Business Type:
    Planemaker