A380 turns back after 'flames' appear from engine I saw a flash. I thought it could have been lightning, but then we saw flames come out of the engine. The whole interior of the A380 lit up," said John Fothergill, 49, from New Zealand. Emirates confirmed that passengers had seen a flash, but said there was no fire. The Airbus A380, also known as the "Superjumbo," seats around 525 passengers, and was launched with much fanfare in 2005. However, in November 2010, Qantas temporarily grounded its entire fleet of A380s after an engine failure on a flight from Sydney to Singapore. Some A380s have also been affected by cracks in the wings. More than 80 Superjumbos are currently in service.