Emirates Upgrades Livery After 24 Years

DALLAS — After much speculation, Gulf carrier Emirates (EK) has today officially announced the introduction of the third iteration to its livery after 24 years. 

The first aircraft to wear the new colors is Airbus A380-861 (A6-EOE). The aircraft has been painted in a state-of-the-art EK engineering facility in UAE. It will be deployed on the Dubai (DXB) to Munich (MUC) route on March 17, 2023. 

Before the introduction of the new look, the aircraft wore the UAE's 50th Jubilee colorscheme from December 2018 until October 2021. Since then, the airframe has sported a special livery to promote Expo 2020.

https://twitter.com/emirates/status/1636291404828737536?s=20

EK's New Livery

The most noticeable difference is to the aircraft's tail, where the UAE flag has been made to look 'more dynamic and flowing with a 3D effect artwork,' the official press release reads.

Meanwhile, the A380s wingtips have been painted red 'with the Emirates logo in Arabic calligraphy "popping" out in reverse white.' The wingtip will show the UAE flag colours facing the fuselage for passengers inside the aircraft.

Bolder gold text of the "Emirates" name now covers the fuselage in Arabic and English. It is also 32.5% larger than the previous lettering. Underneath, the red branding, first introduced in 2005, has been retained, while the "emirates.com" website URL has been removed.

Following these changes, EK President, Sir Tim Clark, stated, "Aircraft livery is the most instantly recognizable brand real estate for any airline. It's a visual representation of our unique identity, something we wear proudly and display in all the cities we fly to around the world. We're refreshing our livery to keep it modern without losing the key elements of our identity, such as the UAE flag on our tailfin and the Arabic calligraphy."

Changes After Two Decades

The airline's original livery, designed by UK-based Negus & Negus, was unveiled in 1985 during the launch. Fourteen years, it made further modifications with the introduction of the Boeing 777 in its fleet at the Dubai Airshow 1999.

The airline also has introduced various special liveries to mark notable occasions and achievements and for sponsorships.

The 37-year-old carrier will introduce the new livery to its existing fleet in due course, repainting 24 of its aircraft, including 17 Boeing 777s and the remaining A380s, this year. Its new Airbus A350, the first of which they expect to receive in August 2024, will also feature the new livery. 

The airline has amazed plane spotters, avgeeks, and its fan by introducing the new livery. The 3D look of the UAE flag makes it one of the unique liveries in existence.

Did you like the Emirates (EK) new livery design? Let us know in the comments on our social media channels.

https://airwaysmag.com/emirates-world-guinness-flight

Feature Image: Emirates Airbus A380 featuring new livery. Photo: Emirates.