Emirates serves up a Grand Slam tennis livery on its flagship Airbus A380
January 14, 2026
Emirates has unveiled an eye-catching special livery painted on the Airbus A380 celebrating all four of tennis’s Grand Slam tournaments.
The bold new paint job turns the world’s largest passenger jet into a flying tribute to global tennis, timed to coincide with the start of the 2026 season and designed to earn love from travellers and Instagram feeds alike.
Emirates A380 pays tribute to the four Grand Slams
The new “Grand Slam” livery brings together visual elements from tennis’s biggest stages: the Australian Open, Roland‑Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Signature colours and tournament branding flow across the A380’s fuselage, transforming the aircraft into a global billboard for the sport.
The jet entered service with a high-profile arrival in Melbourne, a key destination on Emirates’ long-haul network, as the Australian Open kicks off the annual Grand Slam calendar.
A look back at Emirates’ sports-themed liveries
Emirates has a tradition of using special liveries to celebrate its many global sports partnerships. These designs have become fan favourites among aviation enthusiasts and sports supporters alike.
Rugby World Cup Livery — Airbus A380
In May 2023, Emirates revealed a specially designed Airbus A380 to coincide with the Rugby World Cup in France.
Covered in graphics inspired by the sport’s dynamic movement and prominently displaying the tournament insignia, the aircraft operated from Dubai to cities including Istanbul, draped in the colours and imagery associated with the global event.
This was the airline’s fourth consecutive Rugby World Cup livery, reflecting its longstanding commitment to the sport as an official partner.
AC Milan Commemorative Livery — Airbus A380
In December 2024, Emirates debuted a striking special livery on an A380 in honour of AC Milan’s 125th anniversary, as part of the airline’s commercial partnership with one of Europe’s most storied football clubs.
The aircraft’s fuselage integrated the club’s iconic red-and-black stripes and crest. Emirates even offered scale models of the aircraft in this commemorative livery through its official store, delighting fans.
Emirates’ other historical sports liveries
The airline has introduced several special liveries over the years, honouring its sports partnerships with teams representing everything from football to basketball and baseball to cricket.
Emirates NBA A380 livery
Emirates LA Dodgers livery
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 themed Emirates A380 livery
Emirates’ Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain A380s
These sports-themed liveries have helped make Emirates one of the most recognisable airlines in the skies, forging connections with an international fan base.
Emirates uses its Airbus A380s as huge flying billboards to promote partnerships, causes and culture
Emirates has taken good advantage of the large flying canvas on its flagship Airbus A380 fuselage, converting these superjumbos into flying billboards to draw attention to the partnerships, events and social causes the airline supports.
Its United for Wildlife livery raised awareness of the illegal wildlife trade, which Emirates has long fought through partnerships with conservation organisations and by establishing a cargo policy prohibiting trophy shipments.
Emirates also debuted a tribute livery in 2018 honouring the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the United Arab Emirates, on its 100th Airbus A380.
Featured Image: Emirates
