Etihad’s McLaren-liveried Boeing 787-10 set for Madrid debut
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Etihad Airways is scheduled to fly its Boeing 787-10 in McLaren Racing colours for the first time on 10 November, on a passenger service from Abu Dhabi to Madrid. The Dreamliner will carry the Formula 1 team’s papaya orange livery on routes across Europe and Asia ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The aircraft, registered A6-BMI, will operate flight EY103 from Zayed International Airport to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport. The service is scheduled to leave Abu Dhabi at 14:15 local time. The National reports that the jet is due to fly a round trip between Abu Dhabi and Jakarta in the coming days.
The first-ever Formula 1 team livery on a wide-body commercial aircraft has arrived. Etihad and McLaren Racing have unveiled the first Formula 1 team livery to appear on a wide-body commercial aircraft, transforming a Boeing 787 Dreamliner into a bold celebration of ambition. Flying across our global network, the aircraft will bring the partnership to fans around the world. Read more: https://t.co/UCvjT4rbcy
— Etihad (@etihad) November 10, 2026
Etihad named Dublin, Milan and Vienna among the European destinations where the aircraft is expected to appear, alongside Bali, Bangkok and Delhi in Asia.
McLaren’s papaya meets Etihad’s geometric tail
The design brings McLaren’s signature papaya orange on the fuselage, which plays well with the dark mask around the cockpit windows, while retaining Etihad’s geometric tail design. Etihad says it is the first time a Formula 1 team’s branding has appeared on a commercial widebody aircraft.
Etihad unveiled the Dreamliner at Etihad Engineering’s Abu Dhabi facility on 9 November. Former Formula 1 driver Mika Häkkinen attended alongside Etihad chief executive Antonoaldo Neves and McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown.
“We look forward to seeing our trademark papaya up in the sky,” Brown said in the airline’s announcement.
The airline used a kabuki reveal, a theatrical technique in which a curtain drops to uncover what is behind it. Etihad said the unveiling set a Guinness World Records title for the largest single-piece reveal of its kind.
Etihad takes its McLaren sponsorship beyond the circuit
The Dreamliner makes good on a plan McLaren and Etihad outlined in February when they announced their partnership for the 2026 season and beyond. The agreement covers both the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team and the McLaren United Autosports team in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class.
Etihad’s name appears on the rear wing and halo of McLaren’s MCL40 Formula 1 car, as well as on the drivers’ helmets. The agreement also includes rights to develop digital content and fan experiences. Putting McLaren’s colours on an aircraft used for scheduled services takes the partnership to passengers at airports far from the race calendar.
Etihad has used aircraft liveries to promote other sporting partnerships. In 2024, it unveiled a yellow-and-blue Airbus A320neo for Indian Premier League cricket team Chennai Super Kings and sent it to the team’s home city for its first flight in the new colours.
It has also used special liveries to promote Manchester City and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix itself.
Etihad has been the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’s title sponsor since 2009. This year’s Formula 1 finale takes place at Yas Marina Circuit on 6 December, less than a month after the Dreamliner’s scheduled Madrid debut.
