Emirates’ Clark Says U.S. Carriers Undermined Airbus A380 Program

Competition—especially from U.S. airlines—undermined the Airbus A380 program in an effort to weaken Emirates, according to the carrier’s president, Tim Clark. Speaking on The Air Show Podcast, Clark said that U.S. carriers intentionally avoided ordering the A380 to limit Emirates’ growth and influence.

“The American carriers weren’t having anything to do with it because this was the weapon in the armoury of Emirates,” Clark said. “They didn’t want Airbus building more and more, so none of them bought the airplane.”

Clark also claimed that about a decade ago, a mandate within the Star Alliance discouraged member airlines from purchasing the A380—a move he believes contributed to the aircraft’s eventual discontinuation.

“Who could say you couldn’t make money flying from Los Angeles to Tokyo or Sydney with the A380?” he said, questioning U.S. airlines’ preference for operating smaller aircraft more frequently on long-haul routes.

Despite shifting industry focus toward more fuel-efficient twinjets, Clark reaffirmed Emirates’ commitment to the A380, saying the airline plans to operate its A380-800 fleet until the late 2030s.

Emirates remains by far the world’s largest A380 operator, with 118 aircraft in service. In comparison, Singapore Airlines and British Airways each operate 12. Airbus officially ended A380 production in late 2021.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com