Emirates unveiled a wild new NBA themed livery on one of its Airbus A380s this week. The Dubai based carrier is the Official Global Airline Partner of the NBA and the inaugural title partner of the Emirates NBA Cup. To commemorate this, the airline adorned one of its famed superjumbos in a bold blue and red paint scheme from nose to tail.
Emirates’ standard livery is iconic and one of the most recognized liveries anywhere in the world. While the carrier has a ton of special liveries in its fleet, this one is so different that it looks like the Detroit Pistons decided to start their own airline rather than one of the largest and most well known brands in aviation globally.
According to Emirates, the plane took 24 days to transform, inclusive of stripping, painting and applying graphics. Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand, had this to say about the partnership:
“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.”
In addition to its bold new aircraft livery, Emirates will celebrate its partnership with the NBA by offering travelers a unique experience while onboard. From November 1st to December 17th, Emirates will offer passengers on 14 routes between the United States, Canada, and Dubai NBA inspired products and service offerings.
Passengers on these flights can expect co-branded headrests, drinks served on specialty coasters, and can order from courtside-themed menus. Passengers across all cabins will receive sports-inspired dishes and drinks. This will also be expanded to the A380’s onboard bar. NBA fans can also watch some Emirates NBA Cup games on Emirates’ inflight entertainment system.
While flights to/from the United States and Canada will receive the NBA treatment during the tournament, the newly painted NBA aircraft is expected to be utilized throughout the airline’s network. While I’m definitely not a fan of the new design, you can buy die casts of the new plane for $40 USD or 8,899 Emirates Skywards miles.
Summary
Emirates has unveiled a bold new livery to promote its partnership with the NBA. While I’m far from a fan, the plane is a head turner as the majority of the Emirates branding has been wiped out in favor of some bold new colors. I’m going to give this livery a chance to grow on me but, I’m not confident that it will.
(image courtesy Emirates)