When one of the world’s most recognized airlines changes its livery, everyone notices. Images of an Emirates Airbus A380 in a refreshed livery began circulating on social media, with av-geeks speculating whether this was a one-off change or would be more permanent across the entire fleet. Emirates has officially confirmed that the new livery is here to stay and will be applied to all its planes gradually.
One of the first noticeable changes in Emirates’ latest livery is on the tail section of the A380. While the basic design and concept have remained the same, the UAE flag on the Emirates tailfin is much more dynamic and flowing with a 3D effect artwork.
On the fuselage, the signature gold “Emirates” lettering in English and Arabic is also bolder and 32.5% larger. Emirates has retained its iconic red branding on its aircraft, which it introduced in 2005. The website URL “Emirates.com” has also been dropped from the design.
Then there’s the wingtip. These have been painted red with the Emirates logo in Arabic calligraphy “popping” out in reverse white. Passengers onboard with a window view will see the UAE flag colors painted on the wingtips facing the fuselage.
Emirates doesn’t play around with its livery much. Its original livery was unveiled with the airline’s launch in 1985 and had its first refresh 14 years later, with the delivery of Emirates’ first Boeing 777-300 at the 1999 Dubai Airshow. Here’s what the airline’s President, Sir Tim Clark has to say about the latest refresh, “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.”
The first aircraft to get the new look is an Airbus A380 with the registration A6-EOE. The 8.6-year-old aircraft was delivered to Emirates in 2014 and is no stranger to livery changes. It has previously worn special liveries such as the Dubai Expo 2020 and the one to celebrate the United Arab Emirates’ 50th anniversary.
And while Emirates keeps painting some of its planes with these special liveries, this time, it has the massive task of repainting its entire fleet with the tweaked design. But with more than 250 planes in its fleet, Emirates plans to do this gradually.
First, 24 aircraft, including 17 Boeing 777s, are expected to sport the refreshed livery by the end of 2023. From the first Airbus A350 entering the fleet in August 2024, all new Emirates aircraft will be delivered in this new livery.
We’re sure av-geeks worldwide are already preparing to spot the airline’s aircraft with the new livery in the coming months.
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