Emirates acquires four Airbus A380s from Doric Nimrod Air Three

Home
»
Stories
»
2025
»
July

GLOBAL INDUSTRY NEWS

Qatar Airways In Talks To Buy 20% Of Virgin Australia - Airline Ratings

Global Industry News

Emirates acquires four Airbus A380s from Doric Nimrod Air Three

Policy

Emirates Airbus A380 | Official Website

By Sky Industry News

Jul 15, 2025

Emirates has made a significant investment by purchasing four Airbus A380 aircraft from Doric Nimrod Air Three, a Guernsey-based investment company. The deal is valued at nearly $180 million, with each aircraft costing approximately $45 million. These planes have been part of Emirates' fleet since their construction in 2013 and were initially leased from Doric Nimrod Air Three.

This acquisition is part of Emirates' ongoing strategy to buy back its leased A380s. Recently, the airline extended the retirement date for its A380 fleet to around 2040, signaling its commitment to these aircraft for the foreseeable future.

Doric Nimrod Air Three announced that Emirates will pay £131.9 million ($178.1 million) for the four aircraft. This amount includes $25 million per plane for the title purchase and an additional $20 million for fulfilling return conditions. The transaction is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026.

Get the Newsletter

Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News

By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

The ownership of these aircraft will transition to Emirates as their current leases expire between August and November this year, with one exception awaiting scheduled maintenance completion.

"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)," stated Doric Nimrod Air Three.

These A380s are configured to accommodate up to 489 passengers across three classes: first class (14 seats), business class (76 seats), and economy class (399 seats). As per ch-aviation data, each airframe has accumulated between 40,000 and 43,000 flight hours over roughly 12 years.

Doric Nimrod Air Three was created through a partnership between Germany's Doric GmbH and UK's Nimrod Capital LLP specifically to acquire Airbus A380s and lease them out. Previously established SPVs like Doric Nimrod Air One and Two had similar purposes.

Emirates continues as a leading operator of A380s globally with 116 such aircraft currently in service. Despite industry trends towards phasing out this model, Emirates plans to maintain its fleet until at least 2040.