DUBAI: Emirates has retired their first-ever A380 aircraft, A6-EDA. The aircraft will be upcycled and recycled into furniture and memorabilia collectibles for aviation enthusiasts.
After completing its last commercial mission in March 2020, A6-EDA was retired from service and brought to the airline’s Engineering Centre; here Emirates engineers retrieved serviceable components such as engines, landing gears, and flight control components. The aircraft was then deregistered and handed over to the Falcon Aircraft Recycling team, to begin the process of carefully breaking down the aircraft.
Emirates’ first A380, previously operating as A6-EDA, was retired after an illustrious service record. The plan was delivered from Airbus’ Hamburg facility on 28th July 2008 and the plan conducted its first commercial flight Dubai-New York JFK on 01st August 2008 and last commercial flight: Singapore-Dubai on 08th March 2020. The plan conducted a total of 6,319 international flights.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said: “We are delighted to partner with Falcon Aircraft Recycling on this first-of-its-kind project. Through this initiative, our customers and fans can take home a piece of aviation history while saving valuable materials from landfills 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.”
