Video: Emirates Unveils First Livery Update in 14 Years
The airline says it aimed "to keep it modern, without losing the key elements of our identity"
Photo: Courtesy of Emirates
Emirates, the Dubai-based giant airline, unveiled the first livery refresh in more than 14 years on one of its Airbus A380 aircraft.
“Out with the old; in with the new! Say hello to our first new aircraft livery refresh in 14 years,” tweeted the airline announcing the subtle facelift on its corporate color scheme.
The new design, which to the plain eye isn’t quite significant, does bring some tweaks that make it look innovative, modern, and timeless. As noted by the airline’s CEO, Sir Tim Clark, Emirates decided to refresh its livery “to keep it modern, without losing the key elements of our identity.”
The most evident tweak in the new design is on the aircraft’s tail section. The airline notes that the UAE flag on the plane’s tailfin is now “much more dynamic and flowing with a 3D effect artwork.”
Also, the aircraft’s wingtips have been painted red, featuring a more prominent, white-colored Emirates logo in Arabic on the outside and the 3D-style Emirates flag on the inside.
Photo: Courtesy of Emirates
While remaining white, as always, the fuselage brings subtle changes, too. According to the airline, the billboard ‘Emirates’ lettering in English and Arabic has been enlarged by 32.5 percent. Likewise, the plane’s belly retains the airline’s red-branded logo while removing the website ‘Emirates.com’ from the design.
“An aircraft livery is the most instantly recognizable brand real estate for any airline,” Clark said. “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.”
Photo: Courtesy of Emirates
According to Emirates, this new color scheme “will be applied across the rest of the existing fleet with 24 aircraft, including 17 Boeing 777s, expected to sport the refreshed livery by the end of 2023.”
Likewise, all new aircraft joining the fleet—including the upcoming Airbus A350-900 wide-body planes—will come from the factory featuring the new design.
Looking Back at the Emirates Colors
The flag carrier of the Emirates has featured numerous liveries since it was founded in 1985. Its maiden scheme was a modest design that featured a red, green, and black line running down the length of the aircraft’s body. This design—crafted by U.K. firm Negus & Negus—was used until the end of 1999 when Emirates unveiled its current livery, which includes a silver belly and a white fuselage with blue, gold, and red accents.
Photo: Courtesy of Emirates
Since then, Emirates has mildly modified its color scheme with minor changes. In 2020, before the pandemic, the airline unveiled a celebratory livery in honor of the UAE’s 49th National Day, boasting a unique design that included a large falcon spreading its wings across the fuselage, along with other elements representing the country’s cultural heritage.
In addition to these special liveries, Emirates has also introduced a few promotional schemes for special events or to promote partnerships.
Photo: Courtesy of Simon Infanger / Unsplash
For instance, in 2015, Emirates introduced a Hello Kitty-themed livery to celebrate the launch of its route to Taipei, Taiwan. Likewise, in 2019, it introduced a livery promoting the Expo 2020 fair in Dubai.
