Specializing in metallic luggage tags with an aviation theme, the company Aviationtag had its limited edition manufactured with parts of the fuselage of the first deactivated A380 sold out in less than 48 hours.
With a total of 7,000 units for sale, the luggage tag was made up of parts of the A380 serial number 003 and which was operated by Singapore Airlines until it was sent to the Tarmac company at Tarbes airport in France, which dismantled it at last year.
Numbered, the pieces bear the last prefix of the aircraft (9V-SKA) and the confirmation that it is the “original aircraft skin” of the A380. The price charged, at 27.95 euros ($ 30), did not scare fans of the biggest commercial jet in history that sold out the pre-sale of another batch, with parts of the A380 registration 9V-SKB, also used by Singapore.
Early career
The A380 MSN003 had an early career end, with only ten years of service. The aircraft was the first to fly a commercial flight, on October 25, 2008, between Singapore and Sydney, Australia, inaugurating what was thought to be a new era in commercial aviation.
But the air transport landscape has changed since then, making the massive aircraft expensive to operate, especially when compared to the new generation of twin-engine widebodies like the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350.
The advent of the coronavirus has further heightened skepticism about the A380, which has already ended its production announced by Airbus for 2021. Several aircraft operators have decided to land their fleets due to the drop in passenger demand.
As a result, the value of these planes is falling apart in the market. According to an expert interviewed by CNN, an A380 built in 2005 has an estimated price of just $ 77 million, while an aircraft manufactured in 2019 is valued at $ 276 million, far lower than what Airbus asks for a new jet at about $ 446 million. millions.
Apparently, the approximately 250 units of the A380 will still be the raw material for many luggage tags in the future.
