Emirates Unveils Newest A380 Special Livery

Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is proud to present our ‘Livery of the Week’ series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result. 

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Emirates, the official airline partner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the inaugural title partner of the Emirates NBA Cup, has unveiled a striking new livery on one of its A380 aircraft to celebrate the start of the 2024-25 NBA season.

The new livery features a blue gradient across the superjumbo’s fuselage, along with the NBA logo, and a red Emirates logo with a basketball bouncing between it and the NBA logo. The aircraft’s engine cowls are also adorned with red and white calligraphy.

Emirates’ newest Airbus A380 special livery (Photo: Emirates)

According to the airline, the livery was created by Emirates’ in-house design and engineering teams, taking 24 days to complete. Emirates emphasized that the new paint scheme is not just a decal, but a “full repaint.”

To coincide with the upcoming NBA Cup, passengers will experience onboard NBA-inspired products and services on flights to 14 points in the U.S. and Canada between Nov. 1 and Dec. 17.

Painted engine cowlings on the NBA-themed Emirates A380 (Photo: Emirates)

The carrier shared that passengers can expect NBA-themed menus, drinks, and amenities throughout their flight and at select lounge locations in Dubai, New York JFK, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Boston.

“We are proud to be the Official Global Airline Partner of the NBA and the inaugural title partner of the Emirates NBA Cup,” said Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ executive vice president of corporate communications, marketing and brand, in a news release. “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. We also look forward to showcasing unique onboard experiences starting next month, with a host of NBA-themed products and services to inspire and delight our customers.”

Registered as A6-EOD, the newly-repainted Airbus A380 will fly between Dubai and New York-JFK for a “limited time” as Emirates flight 201. The carrier has a total of four A380s painted in full special liveries.

Looking for a new airplane model? Head over to our friends at the Midwest Model Store for a wide selection of airlines and liveries.

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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