Emirates Adjusts A380 Schedules: Fewer Flights but More Frequency!
DUBAI- Emirates Airline (EK) is adjusting its Airbus A380 operations by reducing its flights to London Gatwick (LGW) from three daily to just one during February and March 2026. This move is part of the airline’s strategy to focus on introducing more Airbus A350 services on this route.
Although Emirates has secured slots for four daily flights, the airline plans to utilize a mix of aircraft, such as the Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A350, to maintain frequency while decreasing the capacity of the A380 at London Gatwick (LGW).
Emirates’ Changes to Gatwick A380 Schedule
During the winter season, Emirates (EK) is reducing its Airbus A380 services on the Dubai International (DXB) to London Gatwick (LGW) route further. Initially, they planned to cut one daily A380 flight in January 2026, but recent updates indicate a further reduction to only one daily A380 flight for February and March 2026.
From February 2026, total flights will rise to four daily, consisting of two Boeing 777-300ER services, one Airbus A380, and one Airbus A350. This will mark the A350’s introduction on the route. By March 2026, the same schedule will be in place, with plans to return to two daily A380 flights by April 2026, reducing Boeing 777-300ER services to one and retaining one A350.
Emirates continues to be the only airline offering non-stop services between Dubai International and London Gatwick. This change reflects a larger fleet transition aimed at optimizing operations with more modern aircraft.
Plans for Gatwick Expansion
In June 2025, Emirates (EK) acquired additional slots to broaden its operations at London Gatwick (LGW) and Manchester (MAN) airports, targeting four daily flights from each of them.
According to Airport Coordination Limited’s Winter 2025 reports, if fully realized, Emirates would operate 12 daily departures from the combined London airports.
The airline also obtained slots for triple daily flights to Dublin. Plans for four daily services at Gatwick go back to 2016 but were met with delays. Brief instances of four daily flights have been recorded, the last occurring in September 2019.
Overview of Emirates’ Airbus A350 Fleet
Emirates (EK) welcomed its first Airbus A350-900 in late 2024, marking its first new aircraft type since the A380’s introduction in 2008. The current fleet consists of eight A350-900s, averaging just 0.4 years in age, with 57 more expected to be delivered.
Each A350-900 can accommodate 312 passengers, distributed as 32 in business class, 21 in premium economy, and 259 in economy class.
There were delays in the delivery schedule, initially set for August to October 2024. At the 2023 Dubai Airshow, Emirates ordered an additional 15 A350-900s, expecting deliveries up until early 2028. President Tim Clark has voiced concerns over the Rolls-Royce engines used in the A350-1000 variant, labeling them as defective.
