Emirates stretches out A380 network with Singapore, Melbourne, Auckland and Moscow

With 25 A380s in service and another 65 on order, Emirates is the world's largest A380 operator by a convincing margin. The A380 is pivotal to the carrier's strategy and Emirates is expanding its A380 network significantly over the next two months, adding more destinations in Asia and Europe.

Emirates has pioneered much of the development of A380 routes, using the aircraft not only for long-haul services to major cities worldwide, but also deploying the aircraft to smaller destinations and even on short-haul intra-regional services. It has continually adjusted frequencies and rotated the aircraft to find the sweet spot, even operating the aircraft up to three times daily on key routes.

The carrier's initial A380 deployment strategy was based around key destinations such as New York, London and Sydney, which feature exceptional traffic volumes and a high proportion of premium travellers. Key aviation 'megacities' - to borrow Airbus' term for destinations with more than 10,000 long-haul passengers per day - still form the backbone of the carrier's A380 network.