DUBAI- Emirates Airline (EK) reduces its Airbus A380 flights to London Gatwick (LGW) from 3 daily to 1 daily in February and March 2026. This change aligns with the airline’s strategy to introduce more Airbus A350 services on the route.
Despite securing slots for four daily flights, Emirates will mix aircraft types, including Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A350, to increase overall frequency while cutting A380 capacity at London Gatwick (LGW).

Emirates Reduces Gatwick A380 Flights
Emirates (EK) will further scale back Airbus A380 operations on the Dubai International (DXB) to London Gatwick (LGW) route during the winter season.
According to Simple Flying, the airline initially planned to drop 1 daily A380 flight in January 2026, leaving two services. Recent updates show an even deeper cut, with only one daily A380 flight in February and March 2026.
The total flights will rise to four daily starting in February 2026. The schedule includes two Boeing 777-300ER flights, one Airbus A380, and one Airbus A350.
This marks the A350’s debut on the route. In March 2026, the same mix continues. By April 2026, Emirates will boost A380 flights to two daily, reducing Boeing 777-300ER to one while keeping one A350.
Emirates remains the sole provider of nonstop service between Dubai International and London Gatwick. This adjustment reflects a broader fleet transition, prioritizing newer aircraft amid capacity growth.
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Gatwick Expansion
Emirates (EK) secured additional slots in June 2025 to expand operations at London Gatwick (LGW) and Manchester (MAN) to four daily flights each.
Airport Coordination Limited’s Winter 2025 reports confirm this growth. If fully implemented at Gatwick, Emirates would offer 12 daily departures from the London airports combined.
The airline also gained slots for triple daily flights to Dublin. Plans for four daily Gatwick services date back to 2016 but faced delays. Records indicate brief periods of four daily operations, the last in September 2019.

Emirates’ Airbus A350 Fleet
Emirates (EK) received its first Airbus A350-900 in late 2024, the first new type since the A380 in 2008. The fleet now includes 8 A350-900s, averaging 0.4 years old. The airline awaits 57 more deliveries.
Each A350-900 seats 312 passengers: 32 in business, 21 in premium economy, and 259 in economy.
Deliveries faced delays from August to October 2024. At the 2023 Dubai Airshow, Emirates ordered 15 more A350-900s, planning deliveries through early 2028. President Tim Clark criticized the A350-1000’s Rolls-Royce engines as defective.
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