Emirates Revives Oldest Airbus A380 in the World

DUBAI- One of the busiest international in the world, Dubai (DXB) has witnessed the revival of Emirates (EK) oldest Airbus A380-861, returning to passenger service after 5 years of inactivity.

The aircraft, registered as A6-EDF, was originally built as MSN007 in February 2006.

Photo: Clément Alloing

Emirates Revives Oldest A380

Emirates (EK), the largest global operator of the A380 with a fleet of 121 superjumbos, has successfully reintegrated this historic aircraft.

After being stored at Dubai World Central International Airport (DWC) since 2020, A6-EDF completed its first revenue flight as EK925 from Dubai (DXB) to Cairo (CAI) following a comprehensive test flight.

The reactivation of the A6-EDF marks a significant milestone in aviation history as this 19.1-year-old aircraft is now the world’s oldest active passenger-carrying A380. Built as the seventh A380 and delivered as Emirates’ sixth superjumbo, it stands out in the fleet with nearly double the average age of the carrier’s other A380s.

After extensive storage at Dubai World Central International Airport (DWC), the aircraft was ferried to Dubai International Airport (DXB) on December 30, 2023, completing the short 21-minute journey. Prior to returning to commercial service, A6-EDF underwent rigorous testing, including a comprehensive 3-hour and 30-minute test flight on March 29, 2025.

Photo: Emirates A380-861 A6-EDJ | Close up detail of the big Emirat… | Flickr

Current Operations and Route Strategy

A6-EDF’s inaugural return flight operated as EK925 on April 3, departing Dubai (DXB) at 22:39 and arriving in Cairo (CAI) at exactly midnight local time. The return flight EK926 left Cairo at 01:54, landing back in Dubai at 06:52.

These routes between Dubai and Cairo represent some of the world’s most frequently served and shortest A380 operations, strategically chosen for the aging aircraft. According to flight tracking data, the aircraft has since operated additional services to destinations including Jeddah (JED) and Zurich (ZRH).

The reintroduction of such an aged aircraft presents specific operational challenges. Older airframes typically carry a weight penalty compared to newer variants, resulting in higher fuel consumption and maintenance costs. Emirates’ decision to return A6-EDF to service likely reflects favorable economic factors, potentially including fully depreciated acquisition costs.

The airline’s initial deployment of the aircraft on shorter routes helps mitigate some of these disadvantages.

Operating on regional services to destinations like Cairo and Jeddah optimizes operational efficiency before potentially transitioning to long-haul operations, Simple Flying reported.

Photo: Oliver Richter

Configuration and Capacity Details

A6-EDF features a 517-seat configuration, one of 23 similarly configured aircraft in Emirates’ fleet. This particular layout includes 14 first-class suites, 76 fully flat business-class seats, and 427 economy seats, with economy representing 82% of the total capacity.

Emirates maintains remarkable diversity in its A380 fleet configurations, with nine different layouts across its 116 active superjumbos.

These configurations range from 468 seats in four-class arrangements to 615 seats in two-class configurations, allowing the airline to strategically deploy aircraft based on market demands and route characteristics.

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