Summary

  • Emirates' Airbus A310-300 was one of their first widebody aircraft, allowing them to expand their routes to key European cities like Frankfurt.
  • The A310s were eventually phased out and replaced by more efficient and cost-effective aircraft like the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777.
  • While most of the A310s have been retired or scrapped, some have found new homes, with one still in service with Iran Air and three being used by ULS Airlines Cargo.

Long before becoming the Airbus A380 powerhouse we know and love, Emirates once had a fleet of Airbus A310-300 for commercial and freighter-only services. The Dubai-based company operated these planes between 1987 and 2009. But what happened to them? Are any of these A310s still flying? Let’s find out.

Emirates’ first owned aircraft

Airbus' A310 was one of Emirates’ first widebody aircraft. It might have even kicked off the airline’s rise to the giant it is today. Additionally, it was Emirates’ first owned aircraft, enabling the company to open direct routes to key European cities like Frankfurt and London. After years of leased aircraft from the Dubai Royal fleet and Pakistan International Airlines, Emirates took delivery of its first owned aircraft in 1987. The carrier purchased two A310-300s from Airbus, registered A6-EKA and A6-EKB.

An Emirates Airbus A310-300 taking off.
Photo: Pedro Aragão | Wikimedia Commons.

This widebody aircraft opened the horizons for many new routes for Emirates, which previously only flew to destinations in the Middle East in South Asia. The A310s allowed an expansion into Europe, with flights to London Gatwick, Frankfurt and Istanbul. As the fleet grew, more long-haul destinations to cities like Malé, London, and Singapore were slowly added.

Following a five-year gap (where it took on A300s), Emirates began taking delivery of more A310s, according to data from ch-aviation. In 1992, the carrier took delivery of five new A310-300s and two more, one in 1993 and one in 1995. In total, Emirates flew ten passenger A310s, with the final example delivered in 1995.

An Emirates Airbus A310-300 flying in the sky.
Photo: Konstantin von Wedelstaedt | Wikimedia Commons.

Emirates had two layouts for its A310s: a two-class and three-class configuration. The former seated 18 in business class and 177 in economy, while the latter had 18 seats in first class, 32 in business class, and 131 in economy. This three-class layout was the more common variant.

Phasing out

While the A310 may have been a game-changer for Emirates, the carrier quickly began looking for its replacement as it expanded. Two aircraft took over the previous A310 routes the following year, the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777, starting in the late 1990s.

These twin-engine aircraft offered much lower operating costs and higher efficiency than the A310 while seating far more passengers (195 on the A310 vs. 278 on the A330 and 346 on the 777-200). For a growing airline, the changes only made sense.

The first A310, A6-EKA, left the Emirates fleet in 1997 following a decade of service. Eight more aircraft left between 1999 and 2002, but Emirates did hold on to one final example, registered A6-EKL. This aircraft remained in the fleet until 2007, far after all the other passenger A310s were retired. It made its last flight on July 29th, 2007, after a flight from Alexandria, Egypt, to Dubai, ending the type’s 20-year passenger history with Emirates.

The cargo phase

While all but one of Emirates’ A310s left the fleet by 2002, the type actually returned with the carrier as a cargo aircraft. In 2005, Emirates took delivery of three former Aeroflot passenger A310s, which had been converted to freighters. The planes, registered A6-EFA, EFB, and EFC, flew for four years alongside a fleet of 747-400Fs for Emirates SkyCargo.

An Emirates Airbus A310-300 on a taxiway.
Photo: Konstantin von Wedelstaedt | Wikimedia Commons.

Emirates finally said goodbye to its entire A310 fleet in 2009, ending over 22 years of history for the airline. Since then, its A310s have found themselves in fleets worldwide, including as one of the last few passenger A310s.

Where are they now?

As is often the case with older planes, most Emirates A310-300s are retired or scrapped by now. From the commercial fleet, only the example previously registered as A6-EKB, which was first delivered in 1987 and exited the Emirates fleet in 2000, continues in service. Ch-aviation has the aircraft listed in Iran Air’s fleet, although currently stored at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport.

An IranAir Airbus A310 parked at an airport.
Photo: kamilpetran | Shutterstock.

From Emirates SkyCargo’s A310-300(F) fleet, all of them are still active. The three aircraft, former registrations A6-EFA, A6-EFB, and A6-EFC, are flying with ULS Airlines Cargo, a Turkish company.

Did you ever fly onboard Emirates’ Airbus A310-300 fleet? How was the experience? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: ch-aviation.

  • Emirates, Airbus A380, Penultimate
    Emirates
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    EK/UAE
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Dubai International Airport
    Year Founded:
    1985
    CEO:
    Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum
    Country:
    United Arab Emirates