TGG,
Can I ask where you get your 10hr number from? Apart from Asia you are still over water when flying from most of Oz at the 10hr mark.
The EK 77ER starts shedding ZFW for more fuel at the 11hr mark. Is carrying the same ZFW as a 345 for the same fuel burn at the 14hr mark ( and we know successful the 345 is right?). And is having 100 empty seats to fly 15hrs. Our new 575t 380s are carrying full pax loads out of DXB at 42 degrees (no restriction to TOW), for over 15hrs, and still a few 1000kg below MTOW. In fact at 15hr it's carrying 80% more revenue for 37% more fuel than one of our 77ERs. I wonder why EK long haul is going 380? The last 42 380s EK received are burning a bit over a 1000kg per hour less than the first 20, due to some changes in the wing twist.
EK are operating them on flights as short as an hour, KWI, and as long as 15.30hr, IAH and LAX. It sends them to MRU twice a day, and into regional UK twice a day (MAN).
To get them to make money you need a management team that wants to grow an airline, and search out market share. Rather than shrink an airline and search out bonuses.