Airbus A380-800

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A388  Airbus · Airbus A380

Airbus A380-800 at a glance

  • What it is: the Airbus A380-800 is a long-haul widebody built by Airbus, first flown in 2005.
  • On the radar: it shows up as type code A388. How to spot it overhead.
  • How far it flies: about 14,800 km without stopping, cruising near 903 km/h.
  • How many it carries: 525–853 passengers, depending on how the airline fits out the cabin.
  • Power: 4× GP7200 / Trent 900, with a 79.8 m wingspan.
14,800 km
Range
903 km/h
Cruise speed
525–853+
Passengers
2005
First flight

The largest passenger airliner ever built, with two full-length decks and a wingspan of nearly 80 metres. Production ended in 2021 after 251 aircraft, but the type has enjoyed a post-pandemic revival on slot-constrained trunk routes. Emirates operates around half of all A380s ever made.

The story of the Airbus A380-800

Airbus launched the A380 in December 2000, then known as the A3XX. It was a bold bet that crowded mega-hubs would keep demanding larger aircraft. Airbus believed slot-limited airports would need bigger jets, not more flights. Boeing disagreed and backed smaller, flexible twins instead. The double-decker first flew from Toulouse on April 27, 2005. History would later side with Boeing, but Airbus pressed ahead anyway.

Wiring problems then caused a painful two-year delay. Singapore Airlines finally began service on October 25, 2007, between Singapore and Sydney. With two full-length decks, a wingspan near 80 meters and approval for up to 853 passengers, it remains the largest airliner ever built. In practice airlines fitted far fewer seats, and passengers loved the space and quiet. Onboard bars, lounges and shower suites soon followed.

Emirates embraced it like no one else, taking 123 aircraft, about half of all built, and shaping its Dubai hub around them. Most other airlines found it too big and too thirsty, and no freighter version arrived. Production ended in December 2021 after 251 deliveries, without ever recouping its development cost. Post-pandemic demand later brought stored A380s back at British Airways, Lufthansa and Qantas. Passengers still love it.

Design and engineering

Four Engine Alliance GP7200 or Rolls-Royce Trent 900 turbofans provide the thrust. The weight rides on 22 wheels, including two six-wheel body gears.

Two full-length decks give about 50 percent more floor area than a 747-8, seating 485 to 615 people. Airlines added bars, lounges and shower suites.

The fly-by-wire cockpit uses sidesticks and shares design DNA with the A330 and A350. The 79.8-meter wingspan was sized to fit inside the 80-meter airport gate limit. Airbus shaped the whole aircraft around that single limit. Nothing else on the ramp comes close in size.

How to recognise the A388 in the wild

Unmistakable: the only airliner with two full-length passenger decks from nose to tail, four engines, a huge deep fuselage and a relatively short-looking tail; the 747, by contrast, has only a partial upper-deck hump. More tells in how to identify any aircraft overhead.

Variants and close relatives

VariantWhat sets it apart
A380-800The only version ever built, seating around 485 to 615 passengers in typical layouts.
A380FA planned freighter version that was canceled after customers defected during program delays.
A380plusA proposed 2017 upgrade with large winglets and cabin tweaks that never won orders.

Major operators: Emirates, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa - Find them in the airline database and watch their A388s on the live map.

Facts about the Airbus A380-800

  • Emirates operates 123 A380s, roughly half of every superjumbo ever built.
  • The A380 rolls on 22 wheels and is certified to carry up to 853 passengers, though no airline has ever fitted that many seats.
  • Major fuselage and wing sections were moved to Toulouse by ship, barge and oversized road convoys that crawled through French villages at night.
  • Production ended in December 2021 after 251 aircraft, and the program never recovered its development costs.
ICAO type code
A388
Manufacturer
Airbus
Capacity
525–853 passengers
Range
14,800 km
Cruise speed
903 km/h
MTOW
575,000 kg
Engines
4× GP7200 / Trent 900
Wingspan / length
79.8 m / 72.7 m

Aircraft related to the Airbus A380-800

Comparable types selected by family, manufacturer, capacity, range and generation.

A346 Airbus A340-600 Airbus · 326–475 passengers A35K Airbus A350-1000 Airbus · 350–410 passengers A333 Airbus A330-300 Airbus · 277–440 passengers A359 Airbus A350-900 Airbus · 300–350 passengers

Tracked flights using the Airbus A380-800

These existing flight profiles list the Airbus A380-800 as typical equipment. Airlines can substitute another type on the day.

FlightRoute
EK1DXB → LHRTrack EK1 →
EK448DXB → AKLTrack EK448 →
EK215DXB → LAXTrack EK215 →
EK202DXB → JFKTrack EK202 →
EY11AUH → LHRTrack EY11 →
EY100AUH → JFKTrack EY100 →
NH181NRT → HNLTrack NH181 →
KE11ICN → LAXTrack KE11 →

More aircraft and tracking guides for the Airbus A380-800

Spot one overhead using our aircraft identification guide. Telling this maker apart from its rival is easier than it looks, as Boeing versus Airbus shows. Long-haul jets like this cruise high and far, explained in narrowbody versus widebody.

Data sources and review

Reviewed 2026-07-29 by Flight-Tracker.net Editorial Team

Range, seating, speed and weight describe the aircraft type, not a specific airline configuration. Published figures vary by engine, weight option and cabin layout.

Read our aircraft specification sourcing and review process, or inspect the machine-readable reference dataset.

Airbus A380-800 frequently asked questions

What is the range of the Airbus A380-800?

The Airbus A380-800 has a published range of about 14,800 km, cruising at roughly 903 km/h. Real-world range depends on payload, winds and reserves.

How many passengers does the Airbus A380-800 carry?

A typical Airbus A380-800 seats 525–853 passengers, though the exact number depends on how the operating airline configures its cabin.

What is the ICAO type code for the Airbus A380-800?

The Airbus A380-800 uses the ICAO type designator A388. That is the code you will see when you click this aircraft type on a live flight-tracking map.

What engines does the Airbus A380-800 use?

The Airbus A380-800 is powered by 4× GP7200 / Trent 900, with a maximum takeoff weight of about 575,000 kg and a wingspan of 79.8 m.

How do you identify an Airbus A380-800?

Unmistakable: the only airliner with two full-length passenger decks from nose to tail, four engines, a huge deep fuselage and a relatively short-looking tail; the 747, by contrast, has only a partial upper-deck hump.

Which airlines operate the Airbus A380-800?

Major operators in this reference profile include Emirates, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa. Fleets change as aircraft are delivered, stored, leased and retired, so confirm current fleets with the airline.

Which tracked flights use the Airbus A380-800?

Selected scheduled services in this tracker that typically use the Airbus A380-800 include EK1, EK448, EK215, EK202, EY11. Equipment can change on the day, so the aircraft shown for each flight is a typical assignment, not a guarantee.

Is the Airbus A380-800 a narrowbody or a widebody?

The Airbus A380-800 is a widebody, meaning two aisles and a cabin built for long sectors. With 525–853 passengers seats and 14,800 km of range it is typically flown on intercontinental routes.