Airbus A380 auction: own parts of superjumbo flown by Emirates

Seats, trolleys, engine parts and even a sink from the aircraft are available to bid on

Visitors watch an Airbus A380, sporting the colors of air carrier Emirates, take off during the Dubai Air Show on November 22, 2005. AFP

Workers of Airbus celebrate in front of the Airbus A380 on July 28, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany. The world's largest passenger liner, built by the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, is delivered to the Emirates airline. Getty Images

A general view of the economy class on board of the Airbus A380 on July 28, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany. Getty Images

Emirates Airlines has launched a new daily A380 service from Dubai to Munich with its first flight at Munich Airport Franz Joseph Strauss on November 25, 2011 in Munich, Germany. Getty Images

Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum holds a model of the Airbus Industrie's new A3XX superjumbo jet at the Farnborough Air Show, July 24, 2000. Emirates airline is buying 10 of the jets from Airbus Industrie in a deal worth more than $1.5 billion. PA Images via Reuters

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Thomas Enders, CEO of Airbus, pose for photographers after announcing that Emirates is to purchase more Airbus A380 aircraft at the ILA Berlin Air Show on June 8, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. Emirates will buy an additional 32 A380 aircraft, bringing its total A380 fleet to 90 aircraft. Getty Images

Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid takes a tour of the Emirates A380 airliner during the opening ceremony of the Dubai Airshow on November 17, 2013. AFP

Tom Enders, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Tim Clark, President of Emirates, pose for media during a delivery ceremony of Emirates' 100th Airbus A380 at the German headquarters of aircraft company Airbus in Hamburg-Finkenwerder, November 3, 2017. Reuters

Emirates receives last A380 in November 2021. Courtesy Emirates

Emirates A380 Premium Economy. Courtesy Emirates

Emirates A380 Premium Economy. Courtesy Emirates

Emirates A380 Economy Refreshed. Courtesy Emirates

Emirates A380 Business Class Refreshed. Courtesy Emirates

Emirates A380 Shower Spa First Class. Courtesy Emirates

Flying on an Airbus A380 can be a memorable experience, and those who want to hold on to the memory can now obtain a very exclusive keepsake.

The plane maker is offering the chance to own a piece of aviation history through an auction of parts from an A380 superjumbo.

Proceeds from the auction will go to the Airbus Foundation, which funds humanitarian initiatives. Other proceeds will be donated to AlRitage, an organisation that protects aviation heritage.

The three-day auction runs from October 13 to October 15 and will feature 500 parts. It will be hosted by auctioneer Marc Labarbe in Toulouse, France.

Here are some of the standout items:

• Set of two business class seat lamps — estimate €800-€1,300 ($784-$1,274)
• Side panel of fuselage — estimate €400-€800
• Baggage box, set of two — estimate €1,200-€2,000
• Double trolley unit — estimate €400-€600
• Emergency axe — estimate €500-€800
• Row of three economy class seats with screens — estimate €1,000-€2,000
• Folding hostess seat — estimate €300-€500
• Bar bench from first or business class — estimate €3,000-€5,000
• Rear cone of the engine in three parts — estimate €10,000-€15,000
• Faux marble sink from first class — €2,000-€3,500
• Access door to the cabin — €3,000-€5,000
• Cockpit staircase — no estimate

French planemaker Airbus is to stage a three-day auction on October 13, 14 and 15 to mark 17 years since the maiden flight of the A380. The auction, featuring many curios from a retired Emirates plane, will take place in Toulouse, home of the company, and online. Fans of the big plane may want to bid for this A380 passenger boarding door. Photo: Airbus

This trolley upgraded by a street artist is on the block. All sale proceeds go to the Airbus Foundation to support charities worldwide.

Airbus fans may want to add this pilot side stick to their collection.

An engine fan blade to grace any A 380 buff's mantelpiece is also up for auction.

Artist Sabha puts a spin on this engine fan blade for the A380 auction.

An A380 carbon fibre surfboard will also be up for auction.

Engine fan blade painted by Miadana Randriamorasata is in the sale catalogue.

An A380 carbon fibre longboard will also go under the auctioneer's hammer next week.

Bidders may make calls for this A380 cockpit microphone.

Pilot mask.

This A380 belt is one of the more conventional items up for auction.

Rear engine piece from the Emirates A380 is one of the working parts of the big airliner up for sale.

Business seat lights.

This A380 cockpit stair is one of 400 lots up for auction over the three days.

An A380 crew seat is another authentic auction offering.

The majority of the parts come from the A380 MSN13, which entered service in 2008 with Dubai's Emirates airline, and was deconstructed in 2021.

The A380 was introduced in 2005 and is the world's largest passenger aircraft with room for 545 passengers, although theoretically it can carry a maximum of 853.

In February 2019, Airbus announced it would scrap production of the A380.

It was hit hard during the early part of the coronavirus pandemic when international travel took a major hit and airlines turned to smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft.

Airbus sold only 251 of the planes and the last delivery, to Emirates, was made in December 2021.

In recent months, Emirates has been retrofitting its A380s with premium economy cabins, with flights to five cities expected to provide the new offering.

By the end of this year, the airline will use 85 A380s to service about a third of its total network.

Emirates said last month that by March 2023, it would be flying its superjumbos to 42 destinations around the world, offering 400 departures with 460,000 weekly A380 seats.