Emirates (EK, Dubai International) expects its A380-800 fleet to remain in operation until about 2040, deputy president and chief operations officer Adel Al Redha told The National newspaper, saying maintenance and operating costs will eventually make continued use of the type increasingly difficult.

Al Redha said the carrier had factored the A380's eventual phaseout into the introduction of the B777X, although the new twinjet will not replace the superjumbo's capacity on a one-for-one basis.

According to ch-aviation data, Emirates currently operates 117 A380-800s, of which 86 are in service while 31 are currently on the ground. Without specifying the number, Al Redha said the inactive A380s are undergoing either maintenance or upgrades.

As ch-aviation reported in November 2023, president Tim Clark said Emirates planned to continue operating its A380s into the late 2030s or early 2040s. At the time, the carrier had signed A380 maintenance agreements reportedly worth more than USD1.5 billion, covering base maintenance, spare parts supply, and C-checks.

Two years later, Emirates ruled out acquiring second-hand A380s while saying it intended to continue operating its existing fleet into the 2040s.

Emirates currently has forty-six A350-900s and 270 B777Xs on order, the latter comprising thirty-five B777-8s and 235 B777-9s. Boeing's orderbook also contains fifteen B787-8s for Emirates and fifteen B787-10s, although the airline is considering converting that order to additional B777Xs. The carrier also has freighters on order.