Emirates Air’s A380 flies Dubai to New York with elaborate NBA-Themed design, November 1 through December 17. NBA-themed extras will be available in-flight.
Emirates Air
The NBA’s partnership with Emirates Air runs surprisingly deep for a basketball league based in North America and an airline based in Dubai. Emirates claims the title of the world’s largest international airline by serving 154 destinations across 81 countries on six continents operating 252 aircraft. Four of those aircraft feature full nose-to-tail bespoke designs, and one is going all-in for the start of a new NBA season.
Emirates And NBA Co-branding In-Flight
The new Airbus A380 will fly from Dubai to JFK (EK201) for a limited time before jetsetting all over the world. Its red-and-blue exterior motif mimics the primary colors of the NBA logo—which is itself featured in a floor-to-ceiling logo on the fuselage.
According to Emirates, the new look involved not just a decal, but a full repaint, part of an elaborate project encompassing design, painting, production and installation. It was executed in-house by Emirates’ Engineering Aircraft Appearance Centre teams, and took 24 days to skillfully and methodically execute. The stripping, painting and graphics application process moved seamlessly across the fuselage and cowls.
Emirates Airlines’ A380 flies Dubai to New York with elaborate NBA-Themed design and sports-themed extras in-flight. Available Nov 1 – Dec 17
Emirates Air
The real fun lies on the inside. According to a release from Emirates:
- Passengers in every cabin will board to see the aircraft dressed in co-branded headrests, receive drinks served on specially designed coasters and can order from courtside-themed menus.
- The airline will serve sports-inspired dishes and drinks across all cabin classes and to passengers socializing at the Onboard Lounge on flights operated by the aircraft.
- Basketball fans will also be able to watch select Emirates NBA Cup games live on Sport24 on ice, Emirates’ inflight entertainment system.
Emirates Airbus A380 NBA-themed Aircraft Limited Run Dubai to JFK
The themed promotion runs from Nov. 1 until Dec. 17 to coincide with the final game of the Emirates NBA Cup, the league’s annual in-season tournament in Las Vegas. Emirates also announced it will serve a limited-time NBA-themed menu at its airport lounges 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,” Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand said in a statement. “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.”
As Dubai continues to position itself as a global sports hub, it makes sense to further its relationship with NBA’s international fan base. The new season tips off on Oct. 22, and most of Emirates’ NBA sponsor activations this season will occur in a basketball arena somewhere. The beauty of this promotion is that it offers something special to travelers who won’t have a chance to catch a game in person.
Besides adding some color to the skies, it also adds a unique wrinkle to the otherwise nondescript 12-hour flight from New York to Dubai.