Own a piece of aviation history: Emirates unveils new luggage made from upcycled jet interiors

Dubai: Emirates unveiled its second limited-edition collection of luggage and bags, crafted from the interiors of its retrofitted aircraft, on Monday. Dubbed ‘Aircrafted by Emirates 2025 collection', these 167 pieces are now available at the Emirates Official Store.

The airline anticipates these bags to fly off the shelves, much like their predecessors did in 2023.

The inaugural collection had garnered over $17,000 for charity, and a significant portion of the proceeds from this new range will also be channelled to children in need via the Emirates Airline Foundation.

For those with an affinity for aviation history, this collection offers a tangible connection to the skies. The 2025 release features an expanded array of items, including three new trolley bag styles – a clear nod to their popularity in the initial launch.

Two trendy backpack designs are also on offer, alongside a pair of handbags, one of which boasts a rather unique provenance: it’s crafted from the fur of an Emirates Captain’s seat.

Prices for these handmade pieces range from a modest $80 to a more premium $350.

The raw materials for these distinct accessories are sourced from the airline’s iconic A380s and Boeing 777s. To date, some 30,000 kg of materials from 63 retrofitted aircraft have been painstakingly repurposed. This includes everything from the utilitarian aluminium headrests to the luxurious pure leather of First and Business Class seats, and even the sofas from the A380 onboard lounge.

Each piece of material undergoes a rigorous cleaning process, involving industrial laundering, deep hand-cleaning, leather conditioning, and thorough disinfection, before being transformed by skilled artisans.

New linings and robust zippers are incorporated, with some bags even featuring genuine Emirates seatbelts as straps – a quirky touch, to be sure.

The design and handcrafting of these 'Aircrafted' bags take place in a dedicated cabin workshop within the Emirates Engineering facility in Dubai. A team of 14 'tailors' – officially known as Engineering Maintenance Assistants – typically responsible for repairing aircraft interior tears, are now, due to the success of both 'Aircrafted by Emirates’ and 'Aircrafted KIDS’ initiatives, entirely dedicated to this upcycling project.

This initiative is a tangible offshoot of Emirates’ larger, multi-billion-dollar fleet retrofit project, launched in August 2022. This ambitious endeavour aims to overhaul the interior cabins of 219 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. The project, managed entirely by Emirates’ Engineering team, will see the installation of nearly 4,000 new Premium Economy seats, the refurbishment of 728 First Class suites, and the upgrade of over 5,000 Business Class seats to a new, contemporary design.