aussiefarmer
I don't think it's "trendy" to write off the 380, it's common sense economics.
If you pretend that EK's main purpose is not to make money, but to catalyse Dubai's economy, this effectively contradicts the "mega-hub" theory. A hub's only worth for its location is to make money. Transiting passengers will not catalyse any other business than the duty-free.
And last: Airliners flying half empty might be acceptable to satisfy leasing agreements and an airport structural business model, but even as you pretend that profit might not be the target, half empty planes cannot catalyse any economy either ....