Late last year, Emirates Executives told Simple Flying that the Dubai-based mega carrier would continue to fly the giant Airbus A380 into the 2040s. At the last Dubai Airshow, the airline’s CEO, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, told me that the airline would continue to buy aircraft from lessors at the right price to enable this. How long do you think Emirates will keep flying the Airbus A380? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Qantas is planning to set a new record for the world’s longest regularly scheduled flight with Project Sunrise. Project Sunrise will see the airline connecting London to Sydney with non-stop flights using specially modified Airbus A350s. These flights will take up to 20 hours. But do you think we will ever see longer flights in the future?

Cathay Pacific is the seventh-largest carrier by seats for sale between East Asia and North America. Between September 2024 and February 2025, it has 1.3 million available (roundtrip). United surpasses it—it is double the size—as do Korean Air, All Nippon, EVA Air, Delta, and Japan Airlines.

Cathay was the fourth-largest operator in the same six months in 2019/2020, but its capacity remains down by a stonking 30%. Fewer flights on the 777-300ER and more on the lower-capacity A350-900 have not helped, although they might have helped yields and loads. Nor has China’s slow recovery and Cathay’s smaller network.

The oneworld airline serves Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles, New York JFK, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver. It has an average of 86 weekly departures, from as few as 77 to as many as 95 (from January). Not helping matters is that Newark, Seattle, and Washington Dulles have not returned.

What do you make of Cathay in North America? Do you think Newark, Seattle, and Wash

The Queen of the Skies and the Jumbo Jet. Whatever you prefer to call the Boeing 747, it changed air travel, including opening many new long-haul routes. Freight and passenger-configured aircraft still ply the sky, with Lufthansa being the world’s largest remaining user of passenger variants (it has the 747-400 and 747-8i).

Considerably more fuel-efficient, lighter, and long-range and high-capacity twinjets have dramatically reduced the 747’s use – a technological evolution. In August 2019, before the pandemic, the 747 had 6,700 scheduled passenger roundtrip services, reduced to 1,800 five years later.

What was your last 747 flight? Mine was British Airways from New York JFK back to London Heathrow in October 2019, not long before COVID-19 expedited the 747’s considerable, but inevitable, reduction.

There have been several new long-haul route launches this month, including avianca’s return to Paris from Bogota, Beond’s arrival in Milan from Maldives (via Dubai), and Juneyao’s inauguration to Brussels from Shanghai. With family across the globe, I would love to see more long-haul flights to the likes of South America and South Asia from Europe. Which long-haul routes would you like to see launched?

Premium economy class varies significantly across airlines. For some, it just means a seat with slightly more legroom. Other carriers might include a unique meal service or a slightly different design element in the front of the economy cabin to give it a more elegant feel. The perks provided with premium tickets also vary significantly in value.

Quite a few carriers have invested significantly in their premium economy products. Carriers like Emirates have retrofitted portions of their fleets to accommodate the growing demand, while others, such as Alaska Airlines, have ordered incoming planes to feature more premium seats. Other carriers find the extra cabin inefficient and double down on creating an exceptional main cabin or use the space for more upper-class capacity. 

Given the cost difference between a premium economy and an economy or buisness class ticket, which airlines provide the most value for the upgrade?