Emirates unveils A380 in stunning Emirates Courier Express livery

On April 2, Emirates officially launched Emirates Courier Express, an international, cross-border, and integrated parcel solution for business-to-business services, utilising its extensive passenger fleet. The announcement followed an April Fools' Day prank in which the airline teased the introduction of a service called VIPs – Very Important Parcels.

The launch of this new service, which promised to treat parcels like passengers, featured an Emirates crew member holding a parcel while standing in the walkway beside an Airbus A380 parked on a residential street. As part of the promotion, it had also released a computer-generated video of an Emirates A380 aircraft painted in the Emirates Courier Express brand colours.

But this week, Emirates unveiled an A380 aircraft featuring a special livery dedicated to its new door-to-door delivery solution, Emirates Courier Express. The Emirates Courier Express A380 then took off for O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, transporting both passengers and parcels directly to their destination.

“The iconic passenger aircraft will take to the skies, reinforcing Emirates’ commitment to redefining the express delivery experience by merging its four-decade experience of moving people and goods worldwide,” said an official release from the carrier.

Inspired by brown paper packages, the aircraft’s nose and fuselage are wrapped in kraft paper, torn to reveal the UAE flag on the tailfin and the Emirates Courier Express logo emblazoned on each side. The logo also adorns each of the four engines, while the belly features the classic red Emirates branding. A large ‘special delivery’ stamp, coupled with instantly recognisable handling stamps, decorate the body, bringing the design to life.

The striking nose-to-tail livery highlights exactly what makes this door-to-door express delivery solution so innovative: the seamless integration between Emirates’ fleet of over 250 widebody aircraft and high-frequency global network, with Emirates SkyCargo’s world-class infrastructure and deep understanding of logistics. It also marks the first cargo-inspired livery on an Emirates passenger aircraft.

According to Emirates, the project was managed in-house at Emirates Engineering. “The Emirates Courier Express livery required the A380 to undergo a full repaint, as part of an expansive project encompassing design, production, installation and painting of the livery to bring the customised aircraft to life.”