Emirates has revealed that it is to scrap its first Airbus A380 in Dubai. The 14-year-old aircraft will be partially recycled. However, Emirates has also announced that parts of the plane, including the bar, will be upcycled into furniture and sold to interested individuals. Proceeds from the sales will go to charity.

While Emirates is working full steam to get its Airbus A380 fleet back into the skies once demand returns, a handful of the Dubai-based giant's oldest aircraft sadly won't go back into service. Rather than becoming soda cans, Emirates hopes for a more glamourous second life for one extra-special jet.

A6-EDA set to be recycled in Dubai

Historically, retired aircraft have been sent to storage facilities to sit out their days or be retired by a third party. Now, it seems the trend is changing. From Finnair to Singapore Airlines, an increasing number of airlines are looking to bring aircraft recycling in-house.

Emirates has revealed that it will scrap the first Airbus A380 that it took delivery of in Dubai. The 14-year-old jet was the 11th to roll off the Airbus production line, making it one of the oldest A380s at 14 years of age.

According to data from ch-aviation.com, A6-EDA completed 49,632 hours (5.66 years) of flights, and has a current market value of $30.94 million. Emirates reveals that the jet took 6,319 flights and visited 62 airports around the globe, starting with Dubai to New York as its first commercial flight in August 2008.

The aircraft took its final revenue flight on March 8th, 2020, carrying passengers from Singapore to Dubai. Following this flight, the airline sent the plane to the Emirates Engineering Center at Dubai World Central Airport. Here, aircraft parts that could be reused, such as the engines, landing gear, and cockpit components, were reclaimed from the jet.

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Upcycled and sold on

The aircraft was then taken off of the UAE aircraft registry and handed over to Falcon Aircraft Recycling. Falcon Aircraft Recycling is upcycling parts of the fuselage and cabin materials into collectible parts and furniture. The airline suggests that, as part of this, somebody could end up owning the aircraft's bar for their personal use.

Around 190 tonnes of material will be removed from the aircraft. Things that Falcon can't upcycle will be recycled if appropriate. Falcon Aircraft Recycling hopes that most parts of the aircraft will find a second life rather than being left to stagnate in a desert.

Emirates revealed that it would sell the aircraft parts in several stages, although the sales details are yet to be announced. Simple Flying will, of course, keep readers up to date with any developments on this front. Proceeds from the sale will go towards the Emirates Airline Foundation charity.

Commenting on the undertaking, Tim Clark, President of Emirates, commented,

"Through this initiative, our customers and fans can take home a piece of aviation history while saving valuable materials from landfill and contributing to a charitable cause through the Emirates Airline Foundation. It’s an elegant and fitting retirement solution for this iconic aircraft and our flagship."

Will you be looking to buy a part of this historic aircraft? Let us know what you think in the comments!