Sydney Airport is the busiest airport in Australia, and for good reason. As Sydney is seeing a booming population in its vibrant city, there is also a boom in tourists and residents visiting Sydney Airport every year. On average, 700 aircrafts use Sydney Airport every day with roughly 105,000 passengers passing through daily. With that comes additional flights and the demand for the larger aircraft in the bustling airport. In the wonderful world of aviation and flying around the world, there is always one aircraft that captivates travellers. Sydney Airport has been lucky enough to have a range of aircraft landing daily from Boeing 777-300 to A330-300 and everything else in between. However, the one aircraft everyone still seems to be raving about is the Airbus A380, especially the ones that land at Sydney Airport daily.
What is the Airbus A380?
The Airbus A380-800 is a French-made passenger plane designed to accommodate up to 850 passengers in a full-length double-deck configuration. The A380’s spacious interior offers a range of amenities and configurations tailored to the needs of both airlines and passengers. Its advanced aerodynamics, coupled with four powerful engines, enable it to traverse vast distances with unprecedented fuel efficiency, making it a cornerstone of modern long-haul air travel. It was introduced in 2005, with Singapore Airlines being the first in the world to transport travellers in the A380 in 2007. The A380 is mostly used for long-haul flights around the world with a reach of 15 200km. As of 2024, Qantas has 10 A380’s in its fleet which are all named after Australian aviation pioneers. Qantas currently flies the A30s to Singapore, Los Angeles, Johannesburg (late 2024) and London. Other airlines that currently have the Airbus A380-800 in their fleet are:
Emirates
Singapore
ANA
Asiana
Lufthansa
Koran Air
Qatar
British Airways
Etihad
Since 2020, many other airlines have retired their A380s due to running costs and operational maintenance. Air France retired their fleet of 10 A380s while Thai Airways retired 6 A380s in 2020. In 2022, China Southern and Malaysia Airlines retired their combined 11 A380s.
How many A380s clear the runway at Sydney Airport?
As of June 2024, nine (9) A380 aircrafts arrive at Sydney Airport daily. These flights are:
- London to Sydney (Via Singapore) (Qantas) QF2 20:45 – 05:10
- Singapore to Sydney (Singapore Airlines) SQ221 20:20-05:55
- Dubai to Sydney (Emirates) EK412 10:15 -06:05
- Los Angeles to Sydney (Qantas) QF12 23:45- 08:10
- Singapore to Sydney (Singapore Airlines) SQ231 00:45-10:25
- Doha to Sydney (Qatar Airways) QR908 20:05-17:10
- Dubai to Sydney (Emirates) EK416 21:30-17:20
- Christchurch to Sydney (Emirates) EK413 17:45- 19:05
- Dubai to Sydney (Emirates) EK414 02:15-22:05
As aircrafts arrive, they need to depart too. There are nine (9) A380s that depart Sydney daily:
- Dubai (Emirates) EK415 Departure Time: 06:00
- Christchurch (Emirates) EK412 DT: 07:50
- Singapore (Singapore Airlines) SQ232 DT: 11:00
- Singapore (Qantas) (main destination London) QF2 DT: 14:45
- Singapore (Singapore) SQ222 DT: 15:00
- Los Angeles (Qantas ) QF11 DT: 17:45
- Dubai (Emirates) EK417 DT: 20:10
- Doha (Qatar Airways) QR909 DT: 10:45
- Dubai (Emirates) EK413 DT: 21:10
Are there any other commercial planes that come close to the A380?
As the halting of production by Airbus on the A380 ceased in 2021, many airlines are now making plans to retire the beloved A380’s from their fleet. Qantas has announced that it will retire its beloved passenger plane from 2032 onwards and replace it with A350’s while the largest carrier of the A380, Emirates will continue to fly them until the late 2030’s and early 2040. The Boeing 777X and 747 are set to be a top contender to replace the A380 once they are retired from multiple airlines. The Airbus A350 is a wide-body plane designed to hold 300 – 410 passengers depending on cabin layout. The newly developed Boeing 777X is designed to seat up to 426 passengers whilst providing 10% lower operating costs.
With Sydney Airport being busier than ever, the A380 is sure to provide travellers with some ease during their travels and give plane spotters the ultimate opportunity to view the king of the skies. Have you recently flown on the A380? Leave your impressions below!
Blog That Travels xx