Etihad's 1st Airbus A380 Upcycled Into Collectibles

Another Airbus A380 has been scrapped. This time, A6-APA, formerly of Etihad Airways, faces the chop. However, the aircraft’s legacy will live on as the jet will be upcycled into collectibles for aviation fans.

While some airlines love the Airbus A380, its huge size gives it a niche use case. Most A380s were grounded at the height of the pandemic, and while many did come back, some stayed grounded forever.

Your Chance To Own (Part Of) Etihad’s 1st Airbus A380

German aircraft upcycler Aviationtag has revealed that Etihad’s 1st is the latest aircraft to receive the upcycling treatment. The company has taken fuselage skin from the huge aircraft to create 11,000 key tags. According to the product listing, the tags start at €39.95 ($46.44)

According to Aviationtag, there will be two editions of key tags from A6-APA. The first are made from aluminum sections of the crown and tail section of the fuselage. A section edition will be released from the GLARE, or glass-fiber-reinforced aluminum laminate, section of the plane. These are thicker as glass fiber is sandwiched between three layers of metal.

A6-APA Was The 150th Airbus A380

A6-APA was the first Airbus A380 to be delivered to Etihad Airways, but the 150th A380 to be delivered overall. According to data from ch-aviation, the jet first flew on the 16th of June 2014. However, it wasn’t delivered until half a year later, on December 15th, 2014. Its inaugural flight was to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) on December 27th of that year.

A6-APA last flew passengers in late March 2020 when the UAE government grounded all flights amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The aircraft was then ferried to Tarbes, France, on November 5th, 2020. It has remained there since.

ch-Aviation data shows that before being scrapped, A6-APA logged 26,663 flight hours. This is equivalent to just over three years of flying. These were logged over 2,982 flight cycles, giving an average flight length of 08h56m.

Etihad’s A380 Fleet In 2025

In total, Etihad ordered and received ten Airbus A380s. Of these, seven have returned to service. The other aircraft that will not return to the fleet is A6-APC. Meanwhile, A6-APB remains in storage but is expected to resume flying for the UAE carrier.

According to Cirium data, Etihad has 172 Airbus A380 rotations scheduled in November 2025. These operate from Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi as follows:

Inside Etihad’s Airbus A380s

Etihad’s Airbus A380s are unique in the aviation industry, given the airline’s unique use of the space at the front of the aircraft. The upper deck has some space at the front that can’t be used for seating. Most airlines, such as Emirates, use these spaces for large bathrooms aimed at premium guests. In the place of one of these toilets, Etihad has installed a space known as “The Residence”.

The Residence is like an apartment in the sky. It sees 1-2 guests seated in a private three-room space with a “living room” area occupied for take off, landing, and for casual seating during the cruise. There is also a private bathroom, including a shower. However, the highlight is a separate bedroom complete with a double bed.

Alongside The Residence, the top deck of the Etihad A380 also has 10 first class suites. These are accompanied by 70 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. There is also a social bar space on the upper deck between the first and business cabins. Meanwhile, on the main deck, passengers can find 405 economy class seats in a 3-4-3 configuration.