Emirates to restart flying A380 superjumbo aircraft in potential boost to jet fuel demand

Dubai — Emirates, the world's biggest operator of long-haul flights in 2019, will restart flying the A380 in July for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic prompted the grounding of the superjumbo fleet in March.

"We are delighted to bring it back into the skies to serve our customers on flights to London and Paris from 15 July, and we are gradually looking forward to gradually introduce our A380 into more destinations according to the travel demand on specific destinations," Adel Al Redha, Emirates' chief operating officer, said in a statement on June 24.

Emirates operated the world's biggest fleet of A380, manufactured by Airbus, and the 777, manufactured by Boeing before the pandemic led to the grounding of most big aircraft.

The airline, which is based in Dubai International Airport, is currently flying to over 40 destinations.

The seven-member UAE federation suspended most passenger flights in late March, except for cargo and repatriation flights, but started gradually easing restrictions in the past two months.

The resumption of A380 flights follows Dubai's announcement that it would re-open to business and leisure visitors from July 7.

Jet fuel demand in the UAE alone accounted for more than 30% of consumption in the Middle East and more than 2.5% of global jet fuel demand in 2019, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics. This figure does not include refueling abroad of the UAE 's international flights