Today is a historical and sad day for A380 fans, Airbus has just delivered the last A380 MSN272 to customer Emirates Airline. In total, 251 A380's have been built.
The new aircraft, registered as A6-EVS, is Emirate's 123rd Airbus A380 superjumbo jet. It is also the final A380 aircraft to join the Emirates’ fleet.
Since the first A380 took to the sky, the A380 has continued to capture imaginations, generate excitement wherever it operates and attract traveller preference for its quiet, spacious and comfortable interiors.
No celebrations planned
Airbus rejected the idea of celebrating the end of a program, with the pandemic situation in Germany making it difficult to host an event.
A6-EVS took off around 4:41pm local time on 16th December in Hamburg Finkenwerder, after a circuit, she came back and performed a go around to say goodbye to her birth place. End of an era.
Tribute to the A380 Aircraft
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said: “The A380 is a truly special aircraft in so many ways. For Emirates it gave us the opportunity to redefine the travel experience, efficiently serve demand at slot-constrained airports and bolster our network growth. The A380 will remain Emirates’ flagship product for the coming years, and a vital pillar of our network plans.
“We’d like to thank Airbus and all of our programme partners for enabling us to push the envelope to introduce many innovative ‘industry firsts’ and, importantly, deliver the best product for Emirates’ customers.”
"The A380 has touched the lives of so many passengers by setting new standards in terms of flying and travel experience. I'm confident that it will continue to do so for decades to come with Emirates, which has continuously introduced new services and products allowing passengers around the world to experience the unique features of their A380s," said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO.
"On behalf of all Airbus teams, I would like to use this delivery milestone to warmly thank Emirates Airline - the biggest A380 operator in the world - for their unwavering trust and partnership. Here's to many more happy landings!"
Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO
Latest 4 Class Configuration Inside the A380
The latest Emirates A380 to be delivered features the airline’s latest signature products onboard, including First Class Private Suites and Shower Spas, the highly popular A380 Onboard Bar, its new Premium Economy cabin and the latest inflight entertainment systems.
Emirates was the first airline to announce an order for the A380 at the 2000 Farnborough Air Show, when the aircraft was still marketed as the A3XX. This was followed with a firm commitment and additional order for 15 more units at the 2001 Dubai Air Show, a bold statement just 6 weeks after the events of 9/11 challenged the industry like never before.
At the 2021 Dubai Airshow in November, Emirates also announced a major retrofit programme which will see 52 of its existing A380 aircraft fitted with Premium Economy cabins and other enhancements.
Emirates has retired their first ever A380 aircraft, A6-EDA. The aircraft will be upcycled and turned into furniture and memorabilia collectibles for aviation enthusiasts.