Gulf carrier Emirates is spending $2 billion to refurbish the more than 100 Airbus A380 airplanes in its fleet, and doing a good deed at the same time.
While most airlines have phased out the jumbo jet, Emirates has kept it as a staple of its fleet.
Now a little part of each plane will live on.
Emirates will recycle the leather from its First and Business class seats into fashionable products, including shoes and backpacks.
The refurbishment has been dubbed the Phoenix Project and is already underway at an empty hangar at Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. Emirates says the refurbishment of just one Airbus A380 produces more than 600 pounds of leather and more than 1,200 pounds of other fabric.
It should be noted that the airline is subsidized by the UAE.
It has been reported that most of the $2 billion investment is being dedicated to refreshing the cabin of each plane.
It is not known how long the project will take nor is it known if the airline itself will put the recycled products up for sale or farm them out to another company.
Emirates just recently announced a massive airplane order with Boeing.
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