Emirates will be upgrading its services between Dubai and Sydney to an all-A380 operation from the beginning of November 2023.

The Emirates A380 service set in a three-class configuration offering 489 seats, will replace the Boeing 777-300ER currently deployed on EK416 and EK417. With all three of Emirates’ slots already in use at Sydney airport, the airline is able to commit nearly 2,000 extra weekly seats with the upgrade to its double-decker aircraft on its third daily flight, starting November 4, 2023. Each return flight adds more than 260 extra daily seats. The third A380 service complements the two other Sydney A380 four-class services.

The airline flies the A380 to over 50 destinations, with more cities set to welcome the super-jumbo in the coming months. To Australia, Emirates operates 63 weekly services, offering close to 56,000 seats to and from its four major hubs. Melbourne and Sydney operate three times daily, Brisbane is served with double daily flights, and the airline also operates its flagship widebody daily to Perth. Emirates has also reintroduced services from Melbourne to Singapore, in addition to connecting Sydney with Christchurch.

The introduction of the Airbus A350 in the summer of 2024 will facilitate further expansion of the airline’s network by allowing its fleet to grow and freeing up more of Emirates’ long-range aircraft to serve points such as Adelaide Airport, where the airline is looking to recommence nonstop services.