Emirates (EK, Dubai International) is seeking to cancel five out of eight outstanding A380-800 orders, Bloomberg said citing unnamed sources close to developments.

The Emirati carrier is reportedly still ready to take three aircraft due by the end of March 2021 but would prefer to cancel the remaining five. Airbus has offered to defer the payments instead of an outright cancellation of the order.

Neither of the parties confirmed the report.

According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Emirates currently operates 115 A380-800s, by far the most in the world and nearly half of all A380s ever built. The airline is also the only one with outstanding orders for yet-to-be-built quadjets of the type. ANA - All Nippon Airways is awaiting delivery of its third and final A380, which has already been built.

In its pre-COVID planning, Emirates foresaw operating the A380s until the end of the 2020s but is said to be considering accelerating their accelerated phase-out.

Airbus planned to deliver all outstanding A380s to ANA and Emirates by the end of 2021 and subsequently close the type's production line.