Iconic A380 flying bar sold as superjumbo goes to auction

Name: Inside Emirates A380 aircraft
Uploaded: 2016-10-14T09:56:32+13:00
Duration: 100 s
Description: 14 November 2016 | Emirates president Sir Tim Clark explains to Grant Bradley the airline's approach to designing the A380 interior. Video / NZ Herald

By Thomas Bywater

Writer and Multimedia Producer·NZ Herald·

16 Oct, 2022 10:30 PM3 mins to read

14 November 2016 | Emirates president Sir Tim Clark explains to Grant Bradley the airline's approach to designing the A380 interior. Video / NZ Herald

Sold! One Emirates A380 flying bar, $50,000 to the incurable AV geek.

As slimmer more fuel efficient models take to the sky, the future of the largest passenger plane to ever fly is in question. That doesn't mean that the A380 has lost any of its charm or admirers.

Fresh from the breakers yards - parts of aviation history went up for sale this weekend via a Toulouse auction house, not far from the Airbus Headquarters.

From seats, table lamps and life jackets to commemorative artwork painted on dining trolleys and parts of the fuselage - the one of a kind auction broke down the retired 'Queen of the Skies' into 500 lots. The first lot went under the hammer on Thursday

Catering trolleys with unique artwork for the auction: $520<$870. Photo / Airbus

Life jackets an safety kit were fetched between $180<$350. Photo / Airbus

A particularly sought after lot was the captain and co-pilot's throttle and joysticks - once used to control the 560-tonne giant.

MSN 13 was one of 88 super jumbo aircraft belonging to Emirates, whose first port of call was fling long-haul Dubai to Auckland in 2010. It was retired at the beginning of the pandemic after 12 years of service.

Emirates' Jumbo a380 MSN 13 first flew to Auckland in 2010. Photo / File

The European aircraft manufacturer said that proceeds from the three-day auction, finishing yesterday, would go to charity.

"The proceeds from this auction will help the Airbus Foundation continue to facilitate charitable initiatives worldwide leveraging an international network of employees, associations and other organisations, supporting general interest projects," said the aerospace company. This will include the aviation heritage group AIRitage.

The A380 took off from Toulouse-Blagnac airport on its maiden flight on 27 April 2005.

Portholes from the upper deck of the a380 have a view to sell for $690<$1300. Photo / Airbus

Table lamps from Emirates' A380 business class cabins: $1300<$2200. Photo / Airbus

One of the A380s sky-lounge sofas: $3500<$6000. Photo / Airbus

The sale was presided over by Marc Labarbe - who has seen pieces of Concorde and other aeronautical memorabilia passing though his auction house.

A favourite lot was the rear cone of one of the four Rolls Royce engines that once powered passengers on the 14,300km route between New Zealand and The UAE.

More affordable pieces of aviation history on sale included a French 3 euro postage stamp commemorating the a380.

The first A380 took off from Toulouse-Blagnac airport on its maiden flight on 27 April 2005. The last ever superjumbo rolled off the production line in December last year, for delivery to Emirates at the beginning of this year.