Fans of the world's largest commercial aircraft can look forward to owning a piece of aviation history via an Airbus auction coming up in June.
From June 23 to 25, Airbus' in-person and online sale will auction nearly 500 parts from the world's biggest passenger aircraft.
Comprising cabin lamps and stairs, handrails, trolleys and even cockpit escape ropes — used to assist in the event of an evacuation — the majority of the lots going under the hammer come from a former Emirates A380 aircraft.
The passenger jet that reimagined flying
Seventeen years ago, Airbus’ first A380 took off from Toulouse airport for its inaugural flight.
The nearly 600-tonne superjumbo marked the start of a new era for aviation, with an aircraft that would soon be loved by travellers all over the world.
Airlines embraced the jet, putting their own stamp on it and using its large fuselage to house showers, bars and even flying apartment suites.
Emirates has long been one of the double-decker's biggest fans, and the Dubai airline now has a fleet of 123 of the jets, the last of which was delivered late last year after Airbus produced its final A380 aircraft.
Now, superjumbo fans sad to see the end of this era nearing can opt to own a part of it by getting involved in the Airbus' A380 auction hosted by auctioneer Marc Labarbe.
Most of the lots in the auction come from A380 MSN 13 — a jumbo jet that formerly flew for Emirates.
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Airbus will stop production of its A380 superjet by 2021 Reuters -
People look at a Emirates A380 airbus landing in Nice, south of France. AFP -
Sheikh Mohammed takes a tour of an Emirates A380 during the opening ceremony of the Dubai Airshow in 2013. AFP -
A visitor poses for a photo in front of an Emirates A380 Airbus passenger aircraft decorated with a giant portrait of UAE founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan. AFP -
Airbus and Emirates celebrate the 100th A380 in 2018. Courtesy Emirates -
The A380 is the World biggest passenger jet . AP -
Emirates will receive 14 more A380s from Airbus before the plane maker ends production. Courtesy Emirates -
Airbus said Thursday it will stop making A380 superjumbo jets in 2021 after struggling to win clients. AP Photo -
Interior of Business Class on an Emirates A380. Courtesy: Emirates -
Interior of Business Class on Emirates A380. Courtsey: Emirates -
An air stewardess arranges bedsheets of a double bed in a suite of Singapore Airlines' new Airbus A380 during a tour of the plane at Changi Airport in Singapore. AFP -
An Airbus A380, the largest passenger jet in the world, in Dubai. The airline topped a list of attractive employers in a recent survey of Gen Y and Gen Z. EPA -
The special Emirates A380 will be in service with the Real Madrid decal for six months. Courtesy Emirates -
United for Wildlife Emirates A380 before its first flight to London. Courtesy Emirates Airline -
An Etihad Airways A380 at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Christopher Pike / The National -
A Singapore Airlines Airbus in the snow at JFK, 2018. Reuters -
Etihad Airways economy on an A380. Courtesy Etihad -
The Lobby of an Etihad Airways A380. AFP -
Aermacchi MB-339 jets from UAE's Al-Fursan display team perform with an Airbus A380 from Etihad Airways before the start of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit. AFP -
An Emirates Airbus A380 plane in Beirut, Lebanon. AP Photo -
An Emirates Airline A-380 leads UAE's "Al Fursan" aerobatic display team, during the opening day of the Dubai Air Show. AP Photo -
The tail of the Airbus A-380 at the 46th Paris Air Show. Getty Images -
An Emirates Airbus A380 plane is seen at Nice International airport in Nice, France. REUTERS -
An Airbus SAS A380 super jumbo performs a flying display on day two of the 51st International Paris Air Show in Paris, France. Bloomberg -
Line Emirates is one of the airlines included in the TSA's emergency order. Courtesy Emirates -
Tthe A380 has been Airbus’s flagship project for the past two decades. Bloomberg -
A British Airways A380. Courtesy British Airways -
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 at Beijing airport. AFP -
New wheels on the Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates -
At Dubai's Miracle Garden, more than five million flowers were grown to produce a full-size Emirates Airbus A380. Courtesy Guinness World Records
Having made its first flight in October 2008, the superjumbo flew travellers from its Dubai hub around the world in a three-class configuration complete with in-flight shower spas and the airline's renowned passenger bar, once promoted by Jennifer Aniston.
Capable of flying nearly 500 people per trip, the jet was decommissioned last year by Tarmac Aerosave, a company focusing on sustainable end-of-life aircraft management, with advanced dismantling and recycling techniques.
“When Airbus came to us with a project of dismantling an A380 it was a big challenge, but knowing it was for the Airbus Foundation, knowing it was to keep a piece of the legend … gave us a real motivation to do things perfectly,” said Lionel Roques, vice president of sales at Tarmac Aerosave.
Some other parts included in the sale, such as the business class seats, will come from other A380 jets.
Proceeds from the auction will go to the Airbus Foundation, which funds humanitarian initiatives. Other proceeds will be donated to the AlRitage, an organisation that protects aviation heritage.
