Industry Airbus delivers last ever Airbus A380 to Emirates

On December 16, 2021, Airbus concluded one of the most prestige projects in the company´s history. With the delivery of the final A380 aircraft to Emirates, the manufacturer looks back on decades of development and shaping passenger experiences for the aviation industry.

Aircraft number 251 is the final A380 that has rolled off the line at Hamburg-Finkenwerder. It is the 123rd A380 for Emirates and the last double-decker to be flown from Hamburg to the airline´s operational hub in Dubai.

Airbus launched the A380 in the early 2000s to respond to airport congestion. The aircraft was thought to be the solution for economic travel. On this way, 500 passengers could be transported between global hubs. As largest passenger aircraft in the world, Airbus wrote history.

Emirates has played a large part in the development and the success of the A380 program. With 123 aircraft, the UAE-carrier is the largest operator of the A380 and is using the jet on 50 destinations around the world.

Bertrand George, Head of A380 program, explained: “Emirates has built its growth and success with the A380. Each new A380 is an opportunity for Emirates to offer passengers a new experience in terms of cabin comfort and choice of destination, taking full advantage of the business model offered by the A380.”

With Emirates, Airbus was able to improve the operational performance of the A380 by up to 99,3%, a level which has never been seen before on a four-engine aircraft. Innovation continued inside the plane, where Emirates tried to push boundaries with an extravagant cabin.

But the A380 has been a pioneer in many more aspects. “The A380 has enabled the four Airbus countries to work together and adopt common development and industrialization methods. Overcoming our historical national heritage has been a huge challenge that made Airbus the integrated company we currently know,” added George.

Experienced gathered from the A380 program have had their influence in newer aircraft like the A350, where new advanced materials have been used for the aircraft fuselage, a new hydraulic system and a zero-splice acoustic panels which reduces engine noise. All these points have been tested with the A380.

As the A380 will grace the skies for years to come, Airbus will continue to support the operators around the world. Since the Entry Into Service, the A380 has flown over 800,000 flights while carrying more than 300 million passengers.