The Top 5 Airports To Spot An Airbus A380 This Winter

We can all agree that winter is not the best time to spend outdoors. However, if you like plane spotting, you don’t want to miss the chance to take a romantic snap of snowy runways and aircraft. Also, parts of the winter season can be a very busy time, with demand for air travel peaking during the Holiday season. However, if you have to deal with freezing temperatures, you deserve to spot some good stuff, like, say, lots of Airbus A380s.

According to data gathered from Cirium, this December, there will be 1,603 weekly flights operated by A380s for a total capacity of 3.2 billion available seat miles (ASM), or 803,396 seats. On a global basis, the busiest days of the week for A380 operations will be Mondays and Saturdays, with 231 and 232 daily flights, respectively.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying

Although the A380 was, together with the Boeing 747, the aircraft type that suffered the most the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the December A380 schedule is solid proof that this aircraft still plays a relevant role in the industry. Therefore, irrespective of where you are based, you can admire the massive double-decker aircraft gently touching the ground or slowly lifting toward the endless skies.

If you want to take the perfect snap of the Airbus A380 to show it off at the Christmas dinner, Simple Flying has put together the five best airports where you will most likely see one this winter.

1 Dubai International Airport (DXB)

518 weekly A380 operations from DXB

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the hub of Emirates Airlines, which, more than any other, invested in the Airbus A380. The Emirati airline owns the largest A380 fleet in the world, with 119 aircraft.

Therefore, it is unsurprising that Dubai International ranks first in the top five airports where you will most likely spot the Giant of the Skies this winter. In December, Emirates alone will operate 511 weekly A380 flights from Dubai. The following table summarizes the top ten routes in terms of weekly capacity.

Overall, there will be 518 weekly A380 take-offs at Dubai International, averaging 74 daily. Therefore, you will not fall short of opportunities to spot the massive aircraft at DXB!

Photo: Markus Mainka I Shutterstock

2 London Heathrow

150 weekly A380 operations from LHR

London Heathrow (LHR) is renowned for being one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs. Additionally, it is the home airport of British Airways, whose fleet currently counts 12 Airbus A380s. Next December, six carriers will operate A380 flights from London Heathrow.

Photo: Jarek Kilian I Shutterstock

Mondays and Tuesdays will give you the best chances to spot the Giant of the Skies, with 23 and 22 daily A380 flights out of the London airport, respectively. Unsurprisingly, the largest A380 capacity at LHR is offered by the home carrier, British Airways, with 51 weekly A380 operations, followed by Emirates, with 42, and Etihad Airways, with 21.

3 Singapore

92 weekly A380 operations from SIN

For the third-busiest A380 airport, we need to move more to the east, namely to Singapore.

This December, three carriers will be operating A380s from Changi International (SIN), as per the schedule below.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying

Additionally, if, at some point, you get bored of watching aircraft take off and land (although the chances of this happening are very low), you should know that Changi International is much more than an airport. The airport management had a vision to turn this international hub into a lifestyle and retail attraction, and the “Jewel” complex is the perfect example of this strategy. Here, you can admire the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, the Rain Vortex, or spend time with friends or family in the Canopy Park, with its wide offer of unique entertainment options, including slides and hanging nets you can climb!

Read More: 5 Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Singapore Changi Airport’s Wondrous “Jewel” Complex

4 Sydney

73 weekly A380 operations from SYD

The further east you go, the more chances there are that flights to the Western part of the world are operated with the A380s. Australia is a good example. Sydney International, for instance, will see a total of 73 weekly A380 operations this December.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying

An interesting fact about A380 operations at Sydney International is that Emirates’ A380 flight to Christchurch is a Fifth Freedom Flight, i.e., a flight between two countries, neither of which is the home country of the operating airline. In this example, although Emirates is based in Dubai, it operates a non-stop service between Sydney, Australia, and Christchurch, New Zealand.

Read More: Emirates’ Fifth Freedom Routes – An Ultimate Guide

How can you distinguish between a fifth freedom flight and a technical stop-over? Let’s consider the following example. Emirates offers flights between its hub, Dubai International, and Christchurch, New Zealand, with a stop-over in Sydney. At the Australian airport, the Emirati carrier employs fifth freedom rights. Indeed, Emirates is allowed to market tickets just for the second leg of the journey, SYD-CHC. If this were not the case, the stop-over in Sydney would be just for operational reasons, such as refueling.

5 Bangkok

57 weekly A380 operations from BKK

Although Thai Airways no longer operates the Giant of the Skies, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) has the fifth-busiest A380 schedule this winter. Four carriers will operate the massive aircraft from Bangkok, one of which is European.

Photo: Markus Mainka I Shutterstock

Lufthansa recently inaugurated the first A380 flight between its second-largest hub in Munich and Bangkok. The decision of the German carrier lies in the upsurging demand for air travel to Thailand and the positive impact the A380 still has on brand awareness and customer satisfaction.

According to Lufthansa, passengers love this aircraft because of its level of personal space onboard, quietness, and objective beauty. Additionally, the A380 is a strong ally for airlines willing to capture as much demand as possible and leverage the high yields of premium cabins, especially first class. Before the A380, for instance, Lufthansa operated the Airbus A350 between Munich and Bangkok, whose most premium cabin is business class. However, the A380 will now allow Lufthansa to capitalize on its most trusted and attached customers willing to pay premium prices to enjoy the perks of the airline’s elitarian cabin.

Are you planning any A380 trip this upcoming winter? Let us know by clicking on the comment button below!