The Aircrafted Arsenal Crest. Photo: Emirates After recently expanding their partnership through 2033, Emirates and Arsenal have marked 20 years of partnership with an unusual new symbol: a 2.4-metre-high illuminated Arsenal crest handcrafted from components taken from Emirates aircraft.
The Aircrafted Arsenal Crest. Photo: Emirates Unveiled at Emirates Stadium, The Aircrafted Arsenal Crest combines aviation engineering with one of football's most recognizable symbols. The sculpture was created using upcycled parts from an Airbus A380 and Boeing 777, giving retired aircraft components a completely new purpose.
The project was developed by Emirates Engineering's Aircraft Material Upcycling team in Dubai and completed in just 34 days by 15 engineers, designers, mechanics, technicians and painters.
Tim Clark and Richard Garlck. Photo: Emirates At the heart of the sculpture is Arsenal's famous cannon, which has featured on every version of the club's emblem since 1905.
The cannon wheel was reconstructed around an Airbus A380 main landing gear wheel hub, while a section of titanium bleed air duct was reshaped to create the cannon's barrel. Composite aircraft floor panels were also used to build the cannon's three-dimensional structure.
The shield itself incorporates aluminium fuselage skin from a Boeing 777, while aircraft cargo tracks help form its outer edge and internal structure.
Even the Arsenal lettering has an aviation connection. Individual letters were shaped from aircraft windows and fitted with warm white lighting, while additional lighting beneath the sculpture illuminates its black tiled base.
The aircraft components were selected for their strength and shape before being cleaned, cut, curved, machined, riveted and assembled by Emirates Engineering specialists.
Once completed, the Crest was painted according to Arsenal's official color specifications before being transported from Dubai to London aboard an Emirates SkyCargo freighter.
The unveiling marks 20 years of the Emirates and Arsenal partnership, which has now been extended through 2033.
The sculpture was unveiled by Emirates President Tim Clark and Arsenal Chief Executive Richard Garlick ahead of Arsenal's match against Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Cup.
Clark said the project was intended to create something that could only come from the relationship between the airline and the football club, while highlighting the craftsmanship and engineering behind the installation.
Garlick described the Crest as a tribute to the two-decade partnership and a symbol of the relationship's next chapter.
The partnership remains one of the most enduring commercial relationships in football. Through 2033, Emirates will continue as Arsenal's front-of-shirt, training kit and stadium naming rights partner, maintaining the Premier League's longest-running front-of-shirt partnership.
Per Mertesacker, Photo: EmiratesBeyond its visual impact, the sculpture also creates an unusual connection between the histories of the two organizations.
Arsenal's cannon reflects the club's industrial origins and its famous "The Gunners" nickname, while the use of aircraft components brings Emirates' engineering heritage directly into the club's identity.
Rather than simply displaying an anniversary trophy, the companies have turned materials once used in commercial aircraft into a permanent piece of football memorabilia.
Following its unveiling, The Aircrafted Arsenal Crest will remain on permanent display in Emirates' hospitality space at Emirates Stadium, where supporters and guests will be able to see the unusual combination of aviation engineering and football heritage.