Emirates President Tim Clark: “Rival Airlines Brought About the End of the A380”
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, claimed that the demise of the Airbus A380 program was largely due to certain airlines deliberately choosing not to purchase the aircraft. Speaking on last week’s episode of The Air Show Podcast, Clark asserted that major U.S. carriers and Star Alliance members took a coordinated stance against the A380.
According to Clark, the motivation behind this decision was to undermine Emirates’ dependence on its A380 fleet and reduce the airline’s market power. “The American carriers weren’t interested in the A380 because, at that time, it was Emirates’ most powerful weapon,” he said, adding that this collective disinterest discouraged Airbus from continuing production.
Clark further alleged that a similar attitude existed within Star Alliance, stating: “There was a clear decision within the group—don’t buy the A380, because it would give Emirates enormous power. If we don’t buy it, the aircraft will eventually die.”
One of the key reasons for the A380’s commercial failure was the lack of interest from U.S. airlines. Major carriers such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines never incorporated the A380 into their fleets. Clark, however, believes this was a strategic mistake.
“Who could possibly argue that flying an A380 from Los Angeles to Tokyo wouldn’t make money?” he said, pointing out that the route is one of the most profitable in the world.
Nevertheless, U.S.-based airlines have long favored smaller, more frequent long-haul operations, which offer greater network flexibility and reduce the need for very large aircraft. Clark argues that this strategy prevented them from realizing the A380’s full potential.
While the A380 was hailed as a revolutionary aircraft when it first entered service, today it remains in operation with only a limited number of airlines. Emirates continues to be its largest operator, with around 120 A380s in its fleet.
