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Home/America COVID-19/Corona Updates/COVID-19/US Corona/Airbus is auctioning parts of a retired Emirates A380 superjumbo. There's more than 500 items, including a cockpit staircase, seats, and galley carts.
The three-day auction, handled by Marc Labarbe, will see more than 500 items come up for sale from the decommissioned superjumbo.
Airbus A380 auction item — pilot side stick.
The A380, which has the serial number MSN13, first entered service in October 2008 for Emirates, which is the world's largest A380 operator.
Airbus' MSN13 that flew for Emirates, registered A6-EDB.
It flew thousands of hours until it was retired during the coronavirus pandemic.
Airbus' MSN13 flying for Emirates, registered A6-EDB.
Robert Underwood/Flickr
While the mammoth jet is an icon and a visual beauty, COVID-19 was the nail in the coffin for the fleeting A380.
An Airbus A380.
A. Doumenjou/Airbus
Carriers like Air France, Thai Airways, and Etihad Airways, all retired the quad-engine jet over the past two years simply because it was unsustainable.
Air France Airbus A380
Taking its first flight in 1970 with Pan Am, the iconic Queen of the Skies made air travel affordable for the first time for more people than just the rich and famous.
First Pan Am 747 in London after its maiden flight.
While the first few years were promising, airlines started to lose interest in the superjumbo in favor of more fuel-efficient planes.
Airbus' A380 had four engines instead of two, which is today favored by airlines.
The A380 is a solid workhorse for international carriers that have a strong hub-and-spoke network, like Emirates, because it needs the large plane to fly passengers through a central base.
Emirates has 118 A380s, having delivered the last-ever built in 2021.
But, many global carriers have moved away from that strategy to operate more time-saving point-to-point routes using lower-capacity, twin-engine jets, like the Boeing 777…
And, manufacturers have focused on increasing the capacity of next-generation planes, like Boeing's 777X and Airbus' A350-1000, to meet the needs of high-demand markets without sacrificing operating costs.
Boeing 777X.
Meanwhile, the Boeing 787, which has acted as a replacement for the Boeing 767, targets routes that were too niche for a 777 or A330, but can still be profitable using a lower-capacity jet.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in 2017 that it was "a bit cheaper" to operate two twin-engine Boeing 787-9s than it was to operate one A380.
Qantas Boeing 787-9.
Despite its fall from grace, the A380 is still beloved by aviation enthusiasts around the world and Airbus is banking on that love to keep the superjumbo's legacy alive.
Lufthansa's Airbus A380.
Lufthansa.
Airbus first announced the auction in February as a "tribute" to the iconic aircraft. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to Airbus's charity foundation and to aviation heritage charity, AIRtage.
Airbus A380 auction item — rear engine part.
The majority of the nearly 500 items up for grabs come from the superjumbo's cabin, as well as various pieces of hardware and clothing that would have been used on the plane.
Airbus A380 auction item — carbon fiber longboard.
The auction also includes items from the aircraft's cockpit including a set of stairs that led up to the flight deck…
Airbus A380 auction item — cockpit stairs.
Also listed on the auction are several sections from the airframe, including cabin windows, which are popular among aviation enthusiasts who have put these to all sorts of uses, like wall art.
English design company Aerotiques turns 747 window panels into wall art.
Airbus has also commissioned a series of artists to upscale some of the equipment, including a galley cart, painted by street artist Kelly...
Airbus A380 auction item — painted galley cart.
...and Miadana.
Airbus A380 auction item — fan blade painted by Miadana.
Marion Brochart/Airbus
Airbus is not the only company repurposing parts of decommissioned aircraft. English design company Aerotiques creates furniture and accessories from retired Boeing 747s…
Aerotiques Boeing Stearman table.
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