Dubai: head to the Dubai Show next week – and buy an A380. Parts of it, to be precise.
It could be a coffee table made from the A380’s main wheel? Or a clock made from wing fuel panel (with one’s choice of original metal or polished), or the First Class cabin's gold-plated Emirates logo which has featured on countless Instagram posts as a framed wall hanging?
Even the aircraft’s tail featuring the UAE flag standing at 24 metres can be bought, as well as the A380 lounge bar. These are from the first A380 delivered to Emirates (A6-EDA) and which has been retired from the skies.
Emirates contracted UAE-based Falcon Aircraft Recycling and their partners Wings Craft, to break down the retired A380 and recover materials which can be repurposed "through upcycling or recycling in order to reduce landfill waste to the minimum". Fawaz Mohammed Ali, CEO of Wings Craft Furniture said: "Our team will be onsite to discuss design options for customised items, including one-off pieces made from winglets, window panels, or specific parts of the aircraft marked with its tailfin registration. We're also in the process of restoring the iconic A380 onboard bar which will soon be released for sale via an online auction."
A portion of the sale of all repurposed items will benefit the Emirates Airline Foundation, the airline's charity organisation focussed on helping disadvantaged children.
This is a special aircraft that deserves a meaningful second life. Most upcycling projects offer only mass-produced retail items, but there are so many iconic features of the Emirates A380 that we believe there will be demand for customised one-off pieces
