Wow: New York JFK Has Lost 3 Airbus A380 Airlines In A Year

What a difference a year makes. Only Emirates and Korean Air plan to use the Airbus A380 to New York JFK in 2026. In contrast, Asiana, Etihad, and Lufthansa also flew the type there in 2025. One or more of these airlines may schedule the quadjet to the Big Apple again.

Using Cirium Diio data to compare the first ten months of 2025 with the same period in 2026 shows that JFK’s double-decker flights have reduced by 39%. As Korean Air’s superjumbo offering is currently only scheduled through March 2026, Q3 2026—the peak summer—is down to have 47% fewer A380 departures. However, the South Korean carrier is expected to extend its A380 flights to JFK.

Asiana, Etihad, & Lufthansa Don’t Plan A380 Flights To JFK In 2026

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In 2025, Asiana deployed its 495-seat A380s from Seoul Incheon to JFK between late May and early September. It operated during the peak summer to capitalize on the higher demand and fares. As of December 5, it currently plans a double-daily A350-900 operation next summer. However, the airline has a long history of making fairly late changes to its double-decker network, so it may fly the type to JFK next summer.

After a four-year gap, Etihad resumed using the 486-seat A380 from Abu Dhabi to JFK in April 2024. However, it did not last long, as it was switched to the lower-premium, 371-seat A350-1000 in June 2025 (see a review here). The A380 was used to Toronto instead. The A350 and 787-9 are down to operate to New York next summer.

Finally, there’s Lufthansa. The German giant deployed its 509-seat A380s on a seasonal basis from Munich to JFK between 2023 and 2025. The Star Alliance member had used it from Frankfurt to the Big Apple between 2011 and 2019, but all eight of its frames are now flown from its Munich hub. In 2026, the carrier will use the A350-900 to JFK. Mumbai will see the A380 instead.

Only Emirates & Korean Air Plan To Fly The A380 To New York

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For now, at least, Korean Air has scheduled a daily service to JFK on its low-capacity, high-premium, 407-seat A380s, with the final departure back to Seoul Incheon set for March 28. That’s the last day of the northern aviation winter based on IATA slot seasons.

The SkyTeam carrier’s current schedule submission shows that the 277-seat Boeing 777-300ER will operate both its daily JFK flights next summer. However, it has not currently scheduled any A380 flights on any routes next summer. While its six superjumbos were to be retired in 2026, this plan was postponed. I suspect the airline will schedule A380 services past March in the coming weeks.

Then there’s Emirates, whose double-deckers have been seen in New York since 2008. All three of its daily passenger services are on it, and all flights have premium economy. Cirium indicates that Emirates had four daily A380 departures to JFK between 2015 and 2018.

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JFK Will Be The World’s 14th-Busiest A380 Airport (For Now)

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Some 61 airports are down to see the A380 between January and October 2026. While certainly subject to change, the cuts mean that JFK will now only be the world’s 14th-busiest airport for A380 activity. It has fallen by four places compared to the same ten months in 2025.

In descending order, these airports will all have more superjumbo flights than JFK: Dubai, London Heathrow, Singapore, Sydney, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Munich, Los Angeles, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Paris CDG, Seoul Incheon, Tokyo Narita, and Johannesburg. However, if Korean Air does extend its schedule, JFK will rise to 13th place. And if Asiana decides to fly the type there next year, it’d jump to 12th place.