Emirates airline on Friday unveiled a new design for the Airbus A380 livery featuring the UAE flag.
The livery features on aircraft bearing registration A6-EVG and “serves as an extension of the iconic tail identity”, an Emirates representative said.
This follows a call last month by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, for the UAE flag to be raised high above homes and buildings across the country as a sign of solidarity in to celebrate strength and pride in the face of Iranian missile and drone attacks.
“The UAE flag is a symbol of strength and pride. We call on the sons of the Emirates and its residents to fly it above their homes, centres and buildings,” Sheikh Mohammed posted on social media. “We are proud of our country, proud of our President [Sheikh Mohamed], our military strength, our economy, our workforce, all of our citizens and residents on our land, proud of our flag.
“Let us raise the flag high over every home and building, as a sign of our love and symbol of our loyalty to our President and our unity and solidarity. May God protect the UAE, its people.”
Emirates planes have already proudly shown off the UAE flag for many years, with the new design serving as a striking update at a time when patriotic pride is on full display.
Flying the flag for UAE
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive of Emirates airline, spoke of his pride at flying the flag high for the UAE.
"Since its inception, every Emirates aircraft has proudly carried the UAE flag wherever it flies. This is our way of paying tribute to a home that has given us so much," he said in a message on X.
A tribute to a nation that stands as proof of what is possible when we collectively choose to reach higher, every day. There is no greater stage for our flag than in the skies."
The national banner has become one of the most recognisable symbols of the country, and has taken on stronger associations with pride and unity since war broke out.
Designed by Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah, the UAE flag features three horizontal bands of green, white and black, with a vertical red strip nearest the mast. These are known as pan-Arab colours, associated with Arab unity and identity.
Their origins can be traced back to the Arab Revolt of 1916, and the hues have since appeared on several flags. Al Maainah described them as representing successive eras in Islamic and regional history, from the early caliphates to the Fatimid and Ottoman periods.
