Emirates Airline has made Airbus A380 planes the cornerstone of its globe-conquering fleet – operating more than 100 of the famed double-decker planes. But while Airbus announce back in 2019 that it was stopping the production of new models, you’d be fooled if you were thinking that Emirates aren’t considering the long-game, with plans to retrofit its aircraft and upcycling A380 seats to make limited-edition accessories.
The Dubai-based airline has been undergoing a massive $2 billion refurbishment program of its giant aircrafts, seeking to extend their lifespan into the 2040s by making them sleeker and therefore lighter.
Part of that retrofitting process will see the upcycling of the plush leather and fabric used in the first and business class seating areas. Rather than the material ending up on the scrap heap, the airline has expressed plans to use it as the basis of creating a range of limited-edition accessories, including sneakers and bags. Can you say, Nike A380s, anyone?
According to the airline, one A380 aircraft sheds more than 250kg of seat leather and more than 600kg of fabric, which Emirates has announced that it has plans to use to create a limited-edition collection of shoes, belts and backpacks, fitted with on-board trimmings like seat belts or the lambskin covers on pilot seats.
“We are cannibalising some of the early aircraft and storing the parts, and some of them we’ll make into suitcases and really nice bags and things like that,” Emirates’ President, Tim Clark said.
The retrofit programme will result in nearly 4,000 Premium Economy seats installed, 728 First class suites refreshed, and more than 5,000 Business class seats upgraded. The airline aims to retrofit four Emirates aircraft from start to finish every month, continuously for over two years.