Airbus to auction off pieces from its iconic A380 superjumbo

PLANE aficionados now have a chance to own a piece of one of the world’s most iconic aircraft - Airbus’s A380, the largest and most spacious passenger jet. Airbus is holding a three-day auction of some 500 pieces of the superjumbo, starting Oct 13. Items on sale include lamps, a bar, trolleys, seats, emergency exit signs, baby bassinets and even a cockpit rescue rope. People can also bid on artwork created by street artists using different parts of the aircraft, such as engine blades. A faux marble sink from a first-class cabin is going for as little as US$2,000. Unveiled by Airbus in 2005, the A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner and only full-length double-decker jet. It counts Middle East carrier Emirates as its biggest customer. The superjumbo plane was meant to revolutionise the civil aviation sector, but inefficient design and low demand during Covid led Airbus to stop A380 production at the end of 2021. Most of the parts up for auction come from an A380 MSN13, which entered service in 2008. Proceeds will flow to the Airbus Foundation, to help fund its humanitarian initiatives. The event will be led by auctioneer Marc Labarbe in Toulouse, France and online. BLOOMBERG