Airbus A380 Today: Emirates’ Massive Retrofit, Starlink Wi‑Fi and Future Replacement Plans

Dubai – 18 November 2025: Twenty years after its first flight, the Airbus A380 is once again at the centre of global aviation headlines. At this year’s Dubai Airshow, Emirates and its neighbours in Abu Dhabi and Doha have turned the spotlight back onto the world’s largest passenger jet – not with new orders, but with billions of dollars of upgrades, fresh maintenance deals and a very public debate about what could one day replace the superjumbo.

Even though Airbus stopped producing the A380 in 2021, 254 aircraft were built and around 189 remain in service with 10 operators worldwide. ^[1] Today’s announcements show that airlines are planning to fly the type well into the 2030s – even as they quietly map out its eventual retirement.

Emirates launches next phase of A380 cabin retrofit

The headline A380 news on 18 November is Emirates’ decision to push its already huge cabin retrofit programme into a new, even more ambitious phase.

The Dubai carrier is lining up 111 additional widebodies for upgrade:

60 Airbus A380s
51 Boeing 777‑300ERs ^[2]

Work on this next wave will begin in August 2026, building on a programme that started in 2021 and has already been expanded several times. To date, Emirates has refurbished 76 aircraft, with each A380 spending roughly 22 days in the hangar and each 777 about 18 days. The airline is currently turning out two freshly refurbished jets every month. ^[3]

This is all part of what Emirates calls an unprecedented US$5 billion retrofit programme, aimed at raising cabin standards across almost its entire long‑haul fleet. ^[4]

New Safran seats and a redesigned A380 cabin

A big part of today’s news is about what actually goes inside those 60 upgraded A380s:

Business Class: Emirates is installing Safran Seats’ new S‑Lounge business seats on both the A380 and 777. These seats bring:
- Wireless phone charging
- Refined trim and finishes
- Massage and lumbar support
- A personal tablet-style control unit and improved storage ^[5]
Premium Economy: The airline will use Recaro premium economy seats, with wide leather cushions, mechanical recline, leg and footrests, in‑seat power and a 13.3‑inch screen. ^[6]
Economy Class: Emirates is switching to Safran’s Z400 economy seat across the retrofit. It’s lighter, offers more legroom, a multi‑position headrest and a 13.3‑inch HD screen, designed for long‑haul comfort. ^[7]

On top of the seats themselves, the A380s will gain a refreshed onboard lounge on the upper deck, along with updated soft furnishings and lighting designed to align older superjumbos with Emirates’ newest aircraft. ^[8]

4K entertainment and high‑power USB‑C at every seat

Emirates is also standardising a new inflight entertainment platform across the 111 aircraft. All retrofitted jets will be fitted with Panasonic’s Astrova system, delivering: ^[9]

4K HDR screens (up to 4K OLED on some seats)
Spatial audio for headsets and Bluetooth devices
A new 3D moving map and personalised content recommendations
67W USB‑C power outlets at each seat to support laptops and power‑hungry devices

For Emirates, this is about product consistency at scale. President Sir Tim Clark has been explicit that customers should get a top‑tier experience whether they’re on an A380 delivered a decade ago or a brand‑new widebody. ^[10]

Starlink Wi‑Fi: space‑age connectivity for the superjumbo

If the new seats are about comfort, Emirates’ announcement with SpaceX’s Starlink is about turning the A380 into a flying high‑speed hotspot.

Today the airline confirmed it will roll out free Starlink Wi‑Fi across its entire fleet of 232 aircraft – mainly A380s and 777s – by mid‑2027. ^[11]

Key points from the Starlink plan:

Installations on in‑service Boeing 777s start November 2025.
14 aircraft per month will be retrofitted.
A380 installations begin in February 2026, with an industry‑first three antennae per A380 to maximise bandwidth and coverage.
777s will get two antennae each. ^[12]

All passengers – in every cabin – will get complimentary, high‑speed Wi‑Fi with a one‑click login and no payment or membership required. Emirates is promising enough bandwidth for: ^[13]

4K video streaming
Gaming
Video calls
Simultaneous use on personal devices and seatback screens

The Starlink deployment is explicitly tied to the retrofit programme: as aircraft go through their heavy cabin overhauls, they’ll emerge not only with new seats and IFE, but with next‑generation connectivity baked in. ^[14]

New Collins Aerospace deal underwrites long‑term A380 maintenance

Another A380‑specific announcement today underlines how seriously Emirates is taking the aircraft’s long‑term support.

RTX’s Collins Aerospace and Emirates have expanded their comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) agreement covering the main landing gear on the airline’s A380 fleet. ^[15]

The enhanced programme, announced in Dubai on 18 November, includes:

Extended coverage for A380 main landing gear overhauls
Increased slot and parts availability to support “seamless A380 operations”
Use of Collins’ UAE and Miami MRO centres for scheduled heavy checks
Training for Emirates Engineering teams so more work can be done in‑house in Dubai ^[16]

Landing gear overhauls are among the most complex and expensive maintenance events for a large widebody. Locking in long‑term support is a strong signal that Emirates expects to operate a large A380 fleet well beyond the current decade.

Emirates starts planning for life after the A380

At the same time as it doubles down on today’s A380s, Emirates is also loudly asking: what comes next?

At the Dubai Airshow, the airline confirmed a US$38 billion order for 65 additional Boeing 777X jets, and President Sir Tim Clark has publicly called on Boeing to study a stretched 777‑10 variant to help fill the eventual capacity gap when the A380 retires. ^[17]

777‑10 and A350‑2000: paper planes chasing a giant

In fresh comments published today, Clark and other Emirates leaders outlined their thinking: ^[18]

The airline is pushing Boeing to launch a larger 777‑10, which would stretch the 777X further and be the only twin‑engine jet that comes close to the A380’s capacity.
Emirates is also watching Airbus for any sign of a high‑capacity “A350‑2000”, but Clark has flagged serious concerns about engine performance in Gulf conditions and has refused to order the existing A350‑1000 until durability improves.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ chairman, has been quoted saying “who will listen, will win”, signalling that whichever manufacturer seriously engages with Emirates’ high‑capacity needs could secure huge future orders. ^[19]

Clark has said openly that the airline expects its A380s to stay in service into the late 2030s and early 2040s, but not forever. Aviation analysis this week suggests Emirates’ current internal forecast is to keep the type flying until around 2041, while acknowledging that maintaining the superjumbo beyond its original 20‑year, 100,000‑hour design life will get steadily more difficult. ^[20]

To bridge that gap, Emirates is:

Expanding its A380 spare‑parts inventory
Investing in cabin retrofits and MRO capacity
Ordering large numbers of next‑generation twins (777X, A350‑900) that can gradually take over major routes ^[21]

In other words, the A380 is now both core fleet and future‑planning headache.

Etihad: scrapping one A380, ordering new Airbus widebodies

Over in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways offered a vivid illustration of the split personality of the A380 era.

Yesterday, the carrier confirmed it has scrapped its first A380, aircraft A6‑APA, which first flew in 2014 and entered service later that year on flights to London Heathrow. The jet was ferried to Tarbes, France, for long‑term storage and is now being dismantled, with sections of fuselage turned into collectible Aviationtag key tags. ^[22]

Key details from Etihad’s A380 status: ^[23]

Originally 10 A380s were delivered.
7 are active again, flying high‑profile routes from Abu Dhabi to London, Paris, Singapore and Toronto.
Two aircraft (A6‑APA and A6‑APC) are now permanently retired.
Another frame, A6‑APB, remains stored but is expected to re‑enter service.
Data for November 2025 shows 172 A380 rotations, with London accounting for 82 flights in the month.

At the same time, Etihad used the Dubai Airshow to order 25 additional Airbus widebodies:

15 Airbus A330‑900neos
7 more A350‑1000s (taking that order book to 27)
3 A350 freighters ^[24]

Reports from the show note that with this order, Etihad’s widebody fleet plan will eventually span every major Airbus long‑haul type – including the A380, A350‑1000 and A330neo – alongside existing Boeing 787s. ^[25]

Etihad is therefore both winding down part of its original A380 sub‑fleet and recommitting to Airbus on other platforms, illustrating the tricky economics of keeping a small contingent of four‑engine giants flying.

Qatar Airways and Lufthansa expand A380 flying

The A380 is also finding fresh life on key long‑haul routes outside the UAE.

Qatar Airways: year‑round A380 to Singapore

On 16 November, Qatar Airways quietly confirmed that its A380 will operate year‑round on the QR947/948 Singapore–Doha rotation from mid‑January 2026 through at least March 2027. ^[26]

Key points from the updated schedule: ^[27]

The A380 will take over one of three daily Singapore flights, with QR947/948 scheduled as an A380 service for both the northern summer 2026 and winter 2026/27 seasons.
The swap brings First Class to Singapore on Qatar Airways for the first time, along with the carrier’s popular upper‑deck bar for premium passengers.
Business Class passengers will trade Qatar’s Qsuite on that particular flight for the older Collins Diamond seat, but enjoy the bar and spacious A380 cabin in return.

For Singapore–Doha travellers, that makes one of three daily flights an A380 experience for at least a year, underlining how the type still anchors flagship routes.

Lufthansa: A380 back to Denver

Lufthansa, meanwhile, recently announced that its A380 will return to the Munich–Denver route from June 9, 2026, after a successful stint this year. Airport officials at Denver said the A380’s 2025 deployment helped drive a 6% increase in international passengers through September, and the aircraft drew strong enthusiasm from travellers and spotters alike. ^[28]

The German carrier currently operates eight A380s and is using them to bolster high‑demand routes as transatlantic and Asia‑bound travel continue to grow. ^[29]

Why passengers still love the A380

While today’s announcements focus on fleet strategy and billion‑dollar investments, the A380’s real staying power comes from passengers.

Across major operators, the superjumbo is consistently rated as one of the quietest and most comfortable long‑haul aircraft. An overview of A380 cabins published this week highlights: ^[30]

Emirates: 3‑4‑3 economy layout with relatively generous seat widths and pitch, plus signature features like the A380 onboard lounge and shower spa in First Class.
Lufthansa: Eight‑A380 fleet offering four classes, with economy largely in a 3‑4‑3 main‑deck layout and a smaller, quieter 2‑4‑2 economy section on the upper deck.
Qantas: Ten A380s (eight active) with reworked cabins and custom Recaro seats, designed for long‑haul routes such as Sydney–London.
Qatar Airways & Singapore Airlines: Wide economy seats (often around 18 inches), large premium cabins and, in Singapore’s case, famously luxurious Suites that can form double beds.

In economy, seat widths around 17–18.5 inches and pitches of 31–33 inches are common on the A380, slightly roomier than many high‑density 777 or A350 layouts. Combined with the aircraft’s low cabin noise and spacious feel, that helps explain why airports like Denver report a tangible “A380 effect” on passenger sentiment and demand. ^[31]

What today’s news means for the Airbus A380’s future

Putting all of today’s 18 November developments together, a clear picture emerges of the A380’s place in 2025 and beyond:

The A380 is not going anywhere soon.
- Emirates is committing billions of dollars to new seats, 4K inflight entertainment, Starlink Wi‑Fi and MRO agreements that keep the aircraft viable well into the 2030s. ^[32]
- Etihad, Qatar Airways and Lufthansa are all using the type on prestige routes with strong premium and leisure demand. ^[33]
But there’s still no true replacement.
- Both Boeing and Airbus are being pushed to study larger twin‑engine aircraft – the 777‑10 and a possible A350‑2000 – yet even Emirates concedes none will fully match the A380’s capacity. ^[34]
Fleet strategies are diverging.
- Emirates plans to keep a very large A380 sub‑fleet flying until around 2041, while progressively layering in 777X and A350 capacity. ^[35]
- Etihad is testing a hybrid approach: restarting A380 services on key routes while also scrapping at least one aircraft and investing heavily in smaller, more efficient Airbus twins. ^[36]
Passengers remain the A380’s biggest asset.
- Wider seats, quieter cabins, onboard lounges and showers – now combined with free Starlink Wi‑Fi and brand‑new seats – give the superjumbo a customer appeal that’s hard to replicate. ^[37]

For now, the Airbus A380 sits at a fascinating crossroads: too beloved and too useful to abandon, but also too complex, heavy and niche to build again. Today’s Dubai announcements underscore that airlines are willing to spend heavily to keep their superjumbos flying – while simultaneously nudging Airbus and Boeing to design the next giant that might one day take its place.

The NEW Cabin on EMIRATES A380 | Full Cabin & Airframe Presentation