Emirates operates the largest fleet of two of the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the A380 and the Boeing 777. However, it is also ordering large numbers of Airbus A350s, 787s, and 777Xs. Which of these is replacing the A380? The answer is a bit complicated, as airlines rarely ever neatly replace one generation with another on a one-for-one basis.

It’s easier to answer another question: « What aircraft is replacing Emirates’ 777-300ER fleet? » That’s the Boeing 777-9, a modernized, next-generation stretched successor to the 777-300ER. Back to the A380, there is no direct replacement; the A350s are not intended to replace the A380s, although they may relieve them on some routes.

Emirates Ordering A350-900s & Eying A350-1000s

At the end of 2024, Emirates received the first of its order of 65 Airbus A350-900s. Since then, deliveries have continued, and Emirates has increased its order, having ordered another eight examples at the Dubai Air Show 2025, bringing the order to 73. By November 20, Emirates stated it had already had 13 examples of the A350 in service. Planespotters.net records that Emirates has since received another three in December, bringing its fleet to 16 A350-900s.

Emirates’ A350-900s are not so much replacing aircraft as they are complementing and growing the Emirates fleet. The A350s are more fuel-efficient and flexible than older jets and are excellent for Emirates’ mid-sized trunk routes and longer thin routes. The A380 is best thick routes; otherwise, Emirates risks flying around half-empty airplanes.

Emirates is also considering ordering around 30 or more stretched A350-1000s. It had been rumored that Emirates would place the order at the Dubai Show 2025, although that didn’t happen. The airline has concerns about the durability and performance of the Rolls-Royce engines in Dubai’s hot climate. Tim Clark is reported to want to hold off on the deal to see how these aircraft perform and to see improvements to the engines before committing.

A380: One Of The World’s Most Unpopular Jets

In the early 2000s, as Airbus chose to embark on its A380 program, it forecast there would be a demand for 1,200-1,400 large A380/747-sized aircraft over the next 20 years. In the end, only 251 A380s were delivered along with 155 Boeing 747-8s. Most of the Boeing 747-8s delivered were freighters, and a significant percentage of the passenger 747-8i variants were VIP transports. Only 34 Boeing 747-8 jets were commercial passenger aircraft.

Despite the fanfare of the A380 when it came into service, many airlines quickly decided they didn’t like the jet, with Air France, Lufthansa, China Southern, and others moving to prematurely retire or trim their fleets. Qatar Airways went so far as to say that purchasing the aircraft was the worst decision the airline ever made. But none of this applies to Emirates, which is an outlier seemingly enamored with the jet. In 2024, Emirates was also the world’s most profitable airline, highlighting that it can use the jets profitably.

Emirates purchased half of the A380s. It almost single-handedly kept the production line humming for years, and it continues to keep the type at least somewhat viable for smaller operators. Emirates has gone so far as to ask Airbus to put the A380 back into production as the updated A380neo. It is exceedingly unlikely Airbus would do that. With no direct replacement, Emirates is sticking with its A380s and is aiming to grow its active fleet to 110 A380s by the end of 2026, up from around 96. This is to be achieved by reactivating some aircraft and returning them to service.

A380s To Continue Operating After All A350s Have Been Delivered

Emirates is busy retrofitting its A380 with new cabin interiors. However, the headwinds include the « dreaded supply chain. » CEO Tim Clark told Aviation Week that he plans to keep them flying into the 2040s, but this will get difficult as they are only designed with an operational life of approximately 100,000 flight hours or 20 years. In effect, these aircraft have been given a couple more years due to the downtime from the pandemic.

It will be difficult to keep the aircraft flying beyond 2041 as the aircraft age and replacement parts become an ever greater limiting factor. Clark said, « to take an A380 up to 24-25 years is a big ask… Is it possible? I don’t know. Much will depend on the dreaded supply chain. » Still, Emirates benefits from planning for the future and is « flush » with long-life aircraft parts received from teardowns and is always out shopping for spare engines and parts. Another benefit is that Emirates produces many of the parts for the new cabin interiors itself.

In short, Emirates plans to keep its A380s flying on its high-demand hub routes for as long as possible. The arrival of A350-900s will enable them to concentrate on these routes. The latest batch of eight A350-900s that Emirates has ordered is expected to be delivered by 2031. Emirates plans to operate the A380 and the A350 side by side for around 15 years.

Emirates’ Current & Future Fleet

In November 2025, Emirates said, « Together with the additional Boeing 777-9 order announced earlier this week, Emirates now has a total of 375 units of the latest wide-body aircraft on its orderbook. » It should be noted that all of these aircraft are widebody aircraft and amount to more widebody aircraft than any other airline operates in total.

Emirates has 269 aircraft in inventory (as of November 2025), significantly fewer than the 375 aircraft it has on order, highlighting its plans to grow the fleet. The aircraft on order are both larger and smaller than the aircraft it has in service. To replace the seats lost by retiring the A380, Emirates will need to purchase more than one aircraft on average. At the same time, the 777-9s Emirates has ordered are larger than its 777-300ERs in service.

Emirates is growing and modernizing its fleet mix and is deploying its A350s for flexible network growth. It is also likely to use its incoming Boeing 787s in a similar way. It is keeping its giant A380s for its heavy trunk routes, while transitioning its 777 fleet to newer generations, namely the Boeing 777X.

The Boeing 777-9 Is The Closest A380 Successor

The Boeing 777-9 is the successor to the 777-300ER and will be the largest passenger jet on the market when it enters service (now expected in 2027). Paradoxically, it is too big for the North American market (no North American-based airline has ordered it), but also too small for what Emirates would like. As of the time of writing, Boeing lists a total of 619 Boeing 777X aircraft on firm order. Of these, 270 have been ordered by Emirates and another 124 by Qatar Airways. The UAE’s other flag carrier, Etihad, has ordered 15. These three Middle Eastern airlines account for two-thirds of the 777X’s current order book.

But the 777-9 will be the biggest option available, making it the best fit to eventually replace the Airbus A380. Emirates may wish it could have a like-for-like replacement (e.g., an « A380neo »), but that is not an option. The massive order Emirates has placed for the 777-9 (270) is numerically enough to replace all of its 777-300ERs, 777-200LRs, and A380s one-for-one.

Put another way, from Emirates’ perspective, the 777-9 is not the perfect A380 replacement, but it is the closest thing. At the same time, the replacement of an aircraft type is more complicated with the A380’s role evolving and different aircraft types taking over certain routes. In the end, the A380 will be replaced by an assortment of aircraft, with that assortment having more emphasis on the 777X.

No Single A380 Successor

There is no single Airbus A380 successor. Additionally, Emirates has no intention of retiring its A380 fleet until they wear out at the end of the 2030s. This is driven by the fact that there is no comparable successor on the market to replace the Superjumbo. And yet, the A380s can’t continue flying forever, meaning that eventually other aircraft will have to take over their routes.

The closest thing to an A380 successor will be the Boeing 777-9, but that aircraft will also replace many 777-300ERs, while also growing the fleet. Airbus A350-900s and Boeing 787s can also take over some thinner A380 routes, as well as 777 routes, while also growing the fleet. If Emirates does purchase the A350-1000, then that can also take over some A380 routes.

In short, there is no single replacement for the A380; it is an aircraft that can’t be directly replaced. The A350 procurement is also partially concerned with the partial replacement of the older 777s and has been partially informed by the delays of the Boeing 777X program. With Emirates planning to operate its Superjumbos for at least another ten years, maybe 15 years, they can’t go anywhere soon.