DUBAI,July 29th, 2010: An Emirates' A380, adorned with a giant AC Milan shirt sticker, swooped down on Malpensa Airport for the event in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group and Adriano Galliani, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of AC Milan.
They were joined by Adidas Managing Director Jean Michel Granier; Giuseppe Bonomi, President and CEO of SEA, which owns Milan Malpensa and the full AC Milan team, including Captain Massimo Ambrosini.
Sheikh Ahmed said: "Todays official unveiling of the Fly Emirates AC Milan shirt, that will be seen by fans around the world, is emblematic of our passion for the sport of football and Italy. As we mark the occasion of our new five-year sponsorship agreement with AC Milan, we have made it even more momentous by flying an Emirates' A380 to Milan, providing passengers with an opportunity to experience our super-jumbo product for the first time on the Italy route." Adriano Galliani, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of AC Milan, said: "This spectacular presentation of our new jersey best summarises the philosophy of the three companies, Adidas, Emirates and Milan, at the top in their fields. I'm sure it's the first time that such a large plane is wearing a soccer jersey. All that will serve as a stimulus to do more and better in the near future." Adidas Managing Director Jean Michel Granier, said: "The launch of the new AC Milan jersey has always been a very important moment for Adidas and it is the culmination of a long creative process which lasted almost two years. It is also a big responsibility because, for millions of people in Italy and worldwide, the AC Milan jersey is much more than a simple piece of sport apparel; it is a symbol, a sign of belonging, a second skin." Whilst on the ground in Milan, invited guests and media had the opportunity to tour the Emirates' super-jumbo before the return leg of its journey to Dubai.
The A380 replaced this morning's EK 093 Dubai-Milan service, which departs Terminal 3 at 0735hrs and arrives at 1215hrs in Milan. The A380 is also serving EK 094, which leaves Milan at 1600hrs and reaches Dubai at 0005hrs the following day.
Special menus recognising the unveiling event have been added to today's flights and headrests throughout the 489 seat aircraft have been AC Milan-branded.The double-decker offers 399 seats in Economy, 76 new generation lie-flat seats in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites.
On the upper deck of the aircraft, passengers can enjoy an Onboard Lounge - staffed for the full duration of the flight once the plane reaches cruising altitude. In First Class, customers have the use of two Onboard Shower Spas.
Emirates first signed a sponsorship agreement with AC Milan in September 2007. The following year, the relationship was elevated to Top Institutional Sponsor. The first time that AC Milan fans will see players wearing the Fly Emirates shirt on the pitch is during the Emirates Cup in London, which kicks off on Saturday.
Other teams sponsored by Emirates include Paris Saint Germain Football Club in France, Hamburger SV in Germany, Olympiacos FC in Greece, and Arsenal in the UK. Emirates also holds Official Partner status for the FIFA World Cup .
Caption 1: The big picture - An Emirates' A380, adorned with a giant AC Milan Fly Emirates sticker, arrives in Milan to mark the unveiling of the football team's new shirt.
Caption 2: The biggest fan - A giant AC Milan shirt is attached to the fuselage of an Emirates' A380, the first time the airline has operated the super-jumbo to Italy.
Caption 3: Winning team - His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group (centre) receives a personalised AC Milan Fly Emirates shirt from Adriano Galliani, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of AC Milan (second from right). Adidas Managing Director Jean Michel Granier is to the right and to the left is Giuseppe Bonomi, President and CEO of SEA, which owns Milan Malpensa.
Caption 4: Team photo - His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group (lower right) joins Adriano Galliani, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of AC Milan (lower centre), Adidas Managing Director Jean Michel Granier (lower left) and the AC Milan team for a group shot on the steps of an Emirates' A380, specially fitted with a giant version of the new AC Milan Fly Emirates shirt.
Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2010.
