Emirates Buys 4 Airbus A380-800s

Emirates has purchased four Airbus A380s from Guernsey investment company Doric Nimrod Air Three at a cost of almost $180 million, or $45 million per aircraft. The four aircraft have been flying with Emirates on lease since they were built in 2013, with their contracts due to expire in the coming months.

The carrier has been buying up several of its leased A380s over the past few years. It also recently pushed back its A380 retirement date to around 2040.

Emirates Shells Out $178 Million On Four Airbus A380s

Photo: Toshi K | Shutterstock

As per an announcement by Guernsey-based Doric Nimrod Air Three, Emirates will pay £131.9 million ($178.1 million) for the four aircraft, which entails around $25 million for the purchase of the title and $20 million for the buyout of the return conditions. The four aircraft have been at Emirates for almost 12 years, having joined the carrier on lease from Doric Nimrod Air Three, which purchased the planes directly from the Airbus factory.

In light of the announcement, the investment firm’s stock jumped by almost 7%, with payment from Emirates expected in the first quarter of 2026. With an acquisition cost of almost $45 million per aircraft, this slightly exceeded market expectations of around $42-43 million per plane.

Emirates currently leases all four aircraft, and their ownership will pass over to the Dubai-based carrier upon the expiration of their respective leasing agreements. For A6-EEK, A6-EEM and A6-EEO, this will be between August 25 and November 14, while the title for A6-EEL will be transferred once that airframe completes scheduled maintenance. According to Doric Nimrod Air Three,

“The total aggregate consideration to be paid by Emirates to the Company is £131.91m for the four Assets (equivalent to approximately USD180m in total, comprising, for each aircraft, USD25m for the purchase of the title, and USD20m for the buyout of the return conditions).”

About The Four A380s

Photo: Vytautas Kielaitis | Shutterstock

The four aircraft are all over 12 years old and were delivered to Emirates in the latter half of 2013. Each aircraft features the same configuration and can seat up to 489 passengers across three cabin classes – 14 in first, 76 in business and 399 in economy.

Ch-aviation data shows that each airframe has accumulated between 40,000 and 43,000 flight hours, and between 4,600 and 5,200 flight cycles, as of May 2025.

MSN

Registration

Delivery Date

Configuration

132

A6-EEK

August 29, 2013

F14C76Y399

133

A6-EEL

November 27, 2013

F14C76Y399

134

A6-EEM

November 14, 2013

F14C76Y399

136

A6-EEO

October 29, 2013

F14C76Y399

Doric Nimrod Air Three is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) established by German asset management firm Doric GmbH and UK-based Nimrod Capital LLP. Previous SPVs – Doric Nimrod Air One and Doric Nimrod Air Two – were also established to acquire Airbus A380 planes and lease them to Emirates. Last year, the airline purchased five Airbus A380s from Doric Nimrod Air Two to the tune of $200 million, following a purchase of two other A380s for $35 million each from the same entity.

Related

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The seventh A380 built returned to service on April 3.

Inside The Emirates A380 Fleet

Photo: Airbus

According to data from ch-aviation, Emirates owns more than 50% of its Airbus A380 fleet, but still operates scores of double-deckers on leasing deals. 54 of its A380s are listed as being under leasing agreements, with Emirates holding ownership of more than 60.

Emirates is the world’s largest operator of the A380 with a total of 116 aircraft in its fleet, a number which once stood at 123. This accounts for almost half of all Airbus A380s ever built, with Airbus manufacturing a total of 251 A380 airframes.

Aircraft Type

In Service

Airbus A350-900

8

Airbus A380

116

Boeing 777-200

10

Boeing 777-300ER

119

The carrier won’t be retiring its A380 fleet any time soon, despite other major airlines phasing out their fleets. Last month, Emirates confirmed it plans to keep them flying until 2040, pushing back its previous mid-2030s retirement timeline.

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