Another special livery from Emirates
Emirates has introduced another special livery on one of its Airbus A380s (A6-EOD) – the sixth such special colour scheme on an Emirates A380, and Emirates’ one of only four…
October 22, 2024
Emirates has introduced another special livery on one of its Airbus A380s (A6-EOD) – the sixth such special colour scheme on an Emirates A380, and Emirates’ one of only four full nose-to-tail bespoke designs. This new livery is dedicated to Emirates’ sponsorship of the US National Basketball Association (NBA), for which Emirates is the global airlines partner, and for the Emirates NBA Cup. The NBA Cup is an annual National Basketball Association tournament that is held during the regular season. It was officially announced on July 8, 2023, and it debuted during the 2023–24 NBA season.
The A380 involved entered maintenance at Dubai on 26 September 2024, and was completely repainted, a task fully executed in-house by the Emirates Engineering Aircraft Appearance Centre teams. The repaint reportedly took 24 days, inclusive of stripping, painting and graphics application processes. Emirates describe the new livery as a “head-turning, nose-to-tail livery dedicated to the league.” And says that it “captures the spirit of the Emirates and NBA marketing partnership.”
The new livery features a striking blue gradient across the fuselage, punctuated by the NBA logo. The distinct Emirates lettering has transformed from its unique gold font to red, appearing alongside an illustration of a basketball bouncing between the NBA and Emirates logos. The fuselage’s new look is complemented by vibrant red engine cowls emblazoned with the distinct white calligraphy that makes up the Emirates logo.
The livery and will begin making its way across the airline’s global network with flights starting next week.
To coincide with the Emirates NBA Cup, from 1 November until 17 December, customers will experience on-board NBA inspired products and services on flights when travelling to-and-from 14 points in the US and Canada. Passengers in every cabin will board to see the aircraft dressed in co-branded headrests, receive drinks served on specially designed coasters and can order from courtside-themed menus. The airline will serve sports-inspired dishes and drinks across all cabin classes and to passengers socialising at the Onboard Lounge on flights operated by the iconic A380 aircraft. Basketball fans will also be able to watch select Emirates NBA Cup games live on Sport24 on ice, Emirates’ inflight entertainment system.
Before flights, customers can also enjoy a limited-time NBA-themed menu at Emirates’ lounges in Dubai, New York JFK, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston.
Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand said: “We are proud to be the Official Global Airline Partner of the NBA and the inaugural title partner of the Emirates NBA Cup. The new livery is a celebration of the marketing partnership and the game which brings people together from around the world, and we hope to spread the passion and connect with fans across basketball-loving nations across our network. We also look forward to showcasing unique onboard experiences starting next month, with a host of NBA-themed products and services to inspire and delight our customers.”
Basketball lovers can own a special piece of the NBA with limited edition replica aircraft models in the newly rolled out livery in addition to other merchandise available at the Emirates Official Store.
