Long-haul operator Emirates Airline said on Monday that the first A380 aircraft it had earmarked for retirement will be recycled in the UAE. 

The programme will see the Dubai carrier recover and sell some aircraft parts and re-purpose more than 190 tonnes of materials, thereby reducing environmental impact and landfill waste. 

Old aircraft that are no longer in service are usually flown to remote locations and left idle after being stripped for parts. In most cases, a substantial portion of the aircraft and materials go into landfill or languish for years.   

Emirates’ retiring A380 aircraft, which operated more than 6,000 flights between August 2008 and March 2020, will be recycled by UAE-based Falcon Aircraft Recycling. 

The airline is the biggest operator of A380, the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft that can accommodate 850 flyers. 

Recovery programme   

As part of Emirates’ recovery programme, the several features of the aircraft, such as bar and other furniture and memorabilia, will be recovered and sold. Around 190 tonnes of materials, including metals, plastics and carbon fibre composites, will be recycled.   

“Through this initiative, our customers and fans can take home a piece of aviation history while saving valuable materials from landfill and contributing to a charitable cause through the Emirates Airline Foundation. It's an elegant and fitting retirement solution for this iconic aircraft and our flagship,” said Tim Clark, President of Emirates.   

“This is our most ambitious project to date which will see the first deconstruction of an A380 outside of Europe,” added Andrew Tonks, Director of Falcon Aircraft Recycling.   

He added that the recovery programme will not only be delivered fully within the UAE, it will also ensure that “the majority of the aircraft will find a second life.” 

Emirates is the world’s largest operator of A380s. Airbus announced it would stop the production of the mega jets in 2019.   

(Writing by Imogen Lillywhite; editing by Cleofe Maceda) 

imogen.lillywhite@refinitiv.com 

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