en.Wedoany.com Reported - Emirates will operate a one-off Airbus A380-800 flight on August 8, 2026, from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK). The flight will replace one of the airline's two daily services on the Jakarta route, which is typically operated by the Boeing 777-300ER.

This marks the first time in years that Jakarta will welcome the world's largest passenger aircraft. The charter is being used to transport a European football club arriving in Indonesia for a pre-season tour, with the A380 flight occurring only once, arriving and departing during the night hours.

Emirates' scheduled A380 services are currently concentrated at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), while the Jakarta route uses the 777-300ER on a daily basis. Jakarta has prepared for the arrival of the double-decker aircraft on this occasion, with Soekarno-Hatta Airport featuring dedicated and fully capable gates, three runways, and other relevant facilities, providing the capacity to handle superjumbo aircraft.

The charter is carrying a European football team. The trip corresponds to the upcoming 2026 Indonesia Super Cup, which includes a special pre-season match between English Premier League side Chelsea and Italian Serie A side AC Milan, to be held at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium. Indonesia's national news agency Antara, citing Arie Ahsanurrohim, head of the corporate secretary group at InJourney Airports, confirmed that the Emirates A380-800 flight operates on a one-off basis on August 8, 2026, with no additional scheduled services upon arrival.

The aircraft upgrade stems from the increased demand of this charter. The team will fly direct from Dubai to Jakarta, and the match will be broadcast to over 70 countries worldwide. Flight EK358 is scheduled to operate on Saturday, covering a distance of 4,070 miles (6,550 kilometers) with a flight time exceeding 8 hours; the return flight EK359 departs Jakarta on Sunday, arriving in Dubai in the early morning. Specific timings are: EK358 departs Dubai at 10:50 AM and arrives in Jakarta at 10:25 PM; EK359 departs Jakarta at 12:45 AM and arrives in Dubai at 5:30 AM, both operated by the Airbus A380-800. Information is from Aeroroutes.

These two flights to and from Jakarta are timed to connect with the team's onward travel on Emirates' broader international network to their respective cities (London and Milan).

The A380 will remain in Jakarta for only one night. Soekarno-Hatta Airport has a relatively dense Middle East route network, with Egyptair, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, and Saudia flying to various destinations; Emirates is the only airline connecting Jakarta with Dubai.

Emirates is the world's largest operator of superjumbo aircraft, with over 100 A380s in service, along with more than 100 777-300ERs, 10 777-200LRs, and 25 A350-900s. The airline's A380 capacity in Indonesia is primarily deployed on the Bali route, while the Jakarta route maintains a daily double-daily 777-300ER service.

Saturday night represents the only opportunity to see the A380 in Jakarta in recent years. The aircraft will arrive and depart in darkness, and the flight is a one-off special operation, not a subsequent scheduled service.