A380-800
Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, Korean Air, Thai Airways, Qantas
Full ATPL — the A380 is exclusively a senior Captain aircraft at most operators
A380 CBT technical theory, 5–6 simulator phases, OPC, LOFT, Line Check — the most complex Airbus simulator programme
Airbus Training Centre (Toulouse, Hamburg), Emirates Flight Training Academy (Dubai), CAE (various), British Airways Training (Heathrow)
Specialist demand. The A380 fleet is largely set — Emirates dominates with 120+ aircraft and recruits experienced Captains for the type.
The A380 is the world's largest commercial passenger aircraft — carrying up to 853 passengers in an all-economy configuration.
Emirates operates the world's largest A380 fleet (120+ aircraft) and is the dominant recruiter of A380-rated crews globally.
A380 production ended in 2021 — the existing fleet will fly well beyond 2035, making the type rating a long-term career asset.
Only a small number of Airbus-approved training centres worldwide offer A380 full-flight simulator training.
Cross-crew qualification from the A330 or A340 to the A380 is possible at some operators — saving significant training cost.