Dubai [UAE], August 10: Emirates and Arsenal Sunday unveiled The Aircrafted Arsenal Crest, a striking 2.4-metre-high sculpture handcrafted from upcycled components sourced from the airline's Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft.
Revealed today at Emirates Stadium, the illuminated installation transforms aviation components into one of football's most recognisable symbols.
The Crest has been created to celebrate 20 years of the Emirates and Arsenal partnership and its extension through to 2033. Its unveiling follows Arsenal's Premier League-winning season and marks the beginning of a new chapter in one of world sport's longest-running and most recognisable partnerships.
Created in 34 days by a team of 15 engineers, designers, mechanics and technicians and painters, the project brings together the precision of aviation engineering with the discipline and skill of elite sport.
At the centre of the installation, Arsenal's famous cannon has been reconstructed using components from an Emirates Airbus A380. A main landing gear wheel hub forms the centre of the cannon wheel, while a section of titanium bleed air duct has been cut and reshaped to create its barrel. Lightweight composite floor panels have been built up to form the cannon's three-dimensional body.
Sheets of Boeing 777 aluminium fuselage skin create the face of the shield, with aircraft cargo tracks adapted to form its outer edge and internal structure. Cargo floor panels and roller components have also been repurposed throughout the installation.
The Arsenal lettering has been individually shaped from aircraft windows and fitted with integrated warm white lighting. Further lighting beneath the plinth illuminates the sculpture and its specially constructed black tile base.
The bespoke installation was designed and built in-house by Emirates Engineering's Aircraft Material Upcycling team in Dubai.
Bespoke Aircraft components were selected for their strength, shape and potential to be transformed before being cleaned, cut, curved, machined, riveted and assembled by Emirates Engineering specialists.
The finished Crest was then painted to match Arsenal's official colour specifications, fitted with its lighting system and flown from Dubai to London on an Emirates SkyCargo freighter ahead of its installation at Emirates Stadium.
The airline's latest upcycled showpiece creates a direct connection between Arsenal's industrial beginnings and Emirates' heritage in engineering, excellence and innovation.
The cannon has appeared in every version of Arsenal's emblem since 1905 and inspired the club's famous nickname, The Gunners. By reconstructing its wheel around an Airbus A380 landing gear hub, Emirates Engineering has integrated the airline's aviation DNA into a symbol at the heart of the club.
The crest was unveiled by Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, and Richard Garlick, Chief Executive of Arsenal, ahead of their match vs Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Cup.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said: "Emirates and Arsenal have shared an extraordinary journey over the past 20 years. We have watched the club evolve, welcomed new generations of supporters and celebrated many defining moments together.To mark this anniversary, we wanted to create something permanent that could only come from Emirates and Arsenal. Our Engineering team has transformed components from our Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft into one of football's most iconic symbols. The craftsmanship behind the Crest is exceptional. It reflects the precision, discipline and ambition that define both aviation and elite sport, while giving these aircraft materials an entirely new purpose.
As we enter the next chapter of our partnership, this sculpture is both a celebration of everything we have achieved together and a statement of our shared ambition for the future."
Richard Garlick said, "We're hugely grateful to Emirates for creating this special tribute to our club and to 20 years of partnership between us. The Crest stands as a powerful reflection of our relationship and everything we've achieved together along the way. We enter this next chapter together with confidence, ambition and a shared belief in what lies ahead for our partnership and our club."
The Emirates and Arsenal partnership is one of the longest-running and most recognisable relationships in football. Through to 2033, Emirates will continue as Arsenal's front-of-shirt, training kit and stadium naming rights partner, extending the Premier League's longest-running front-of-shirt partnership.
Following its unveiling, The Aircrafted Arsenal Crest will be permanently displayed in Emirates' hospitality space at Emirates Stadium.
Source: Emirates News Agency
