How Fast Does The Airbus A380 Fly?

The world’s only full double-decker airliner and the world’s largest passenger jet connect cities across the globe. From Dubai to Auckland, London to Singapore, and Seoul to Los Angeles are just a few routes to see this iconic aircraft. However, how fast can this big bird fly? According to the German airline Lufthansa, its cruising speed is 910 kilometers (565 miles) per hour or Mach .85. In a hurry, it can reach top speeds of up to 1,020 kilometers (634 miles) per hour, making it one of the top five fastest aircraft.

Photo: Rob Atherton | Shutterstock

Its range of 15,200 kilometers (8,200 nautical miles) enables the A380 to serve many of the longest routes operating today. With a fuel capacity of 82,000 gallons, the aircraft, if designed to its densest configuration of 853 passengers, would make the A380 more fuel efficient than your standard car, at a consumption rate of 10 nautical miles a gallon.

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The largest and heaviest aircraft

The A380 is the most significant and heaviest commercial aircraft in service. It is 73 meters long and 24 meters high, with an average take-off weight of 560 tonnes. Airlines have a choice of engine to fit onto their aircraft, which most frequently is the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or General Electric / Pratt & Whitney GP720. Both provide up to 70,000 lbs of thrust. That amount of power is equivalent to 3,5000 cars thundering down the runway.

Upon landing, the aircraft slows to 256 kilometers (159 miles) per hour. Its unique feature prompts the brakes to engage independently, helping the aircraft slow down on the runway.

How does the A380 compare?

The table below shows how the A380 compares to other famous aircraft as advised by their manufacturers. The A380’s range is greater than the Boeing 747-8, even by such a small margin. This means the variant is popular for long-haul operations. While the 787 surpasses the double-decker when it comes to maximum operating speed.

Airbus’ design of the A380 included overly large wings with a gentle sweep of 33.5 degrees and fitted with large flaps. This allows the aircraft to land 20 knots slower than the Queen of the Skies (Boeing 747). The A380 can land at a low and slow speed, similar to corporate jet aircraft, which are 1/50th of its size.

World record flight

Qantas broke a record flight duration for the A380 when it flew directly from Dresden, Germany, to Sydney, Australia, on December 20, 2019. The airplane, carrying the registration VH-OQH and nicknamed “Reginald Ansett,” had been in Germany for a cabin refresh at the Airbus maintenance facility when flying directly home. Flying for 16,105 kilometers (8,696 nautical miles), the aircraft had next to no passengers or cargo onboard, making its fuel efficiency and range far superior to when compared to regularly scheduled service.

Australia’s flag carrier then repeated history in December last year, sending another A380S for a makeover in Germany. VH-OQK—‘John/Reginald Duigan’—made the journey home in mid-December. Dresden to Sydney flights surpassed the longest commercial A380 service, Emirates EK488, flying between Dubai and Auckland. It generally takes around 16 hours and is 1852 kilometers (1,150 miles) shorter.

Current and former operators

With Airbus ending production for the A380 in 2021, Emirates will remain the world’s largest customer for the iconic aircraft. Other popular operators include All Nippon, Asiana, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Korean, Lufthansa, Qantas, Qatar and Singapore Airlines.

Five former operators are also worth mentioning, with many suspending the aircraft from their fleet due to restructuring efforts or the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These included:

• Air France, the SkyTeam carrier, operated ten A380s from its hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). These were in service between 2009 and 2020, and during this time, the aircraft was deployed on routes such as Paris to Abidjan, New York, or Montreal.
• China Southern, another SkyTeam (former) member, maintained five in its fleet between 2011 and 2022. These were retired due to high operating costs.
• Hi Fly Malta, perhaps the most iconic, with its coral reef livery, operated between 2018 and 2020 and had its operations shelved due to the pandemic.
• Malaysia Airlines, the flag carrier of Malaysia, operated six between 2012 and 2020 and retired the double-decker from its fleet due to operational costs.
• Thai Airways retired six from its fleet due to restructuring. The airline operated these between 2012 and 2020.

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Have you traveled on the Airbus A380? Let us know in the comment section.