Emirates and Arsenal unveil crest sculpture engineered from upcycled aircraft components
All images courtesy of Emirates / Arsenal FC
Celebrating two decades of collaboration and an extension of their partnership through to 2033, Emirates and Arsenal have unveiled The Aircrafted Arsenal Crest. Revealed at Emirates Stadium following Arsenal’s Premier League-winning season, the 2.4-metre-high illuminated sculpture transforms upcycled aviation components into the club’s emblem.
Built over 34 days by a team of 15 specialists in Dubai, the project was led by Leandi Schoonraad, Aircraft Upcycling Manager at Emirates, alongside the airline’s Aircraft Material Upcycling team. The specialists selected 84 aircraft parts for their strength and geometry before cleaning, cutting, machining, and riveting the final structure.
Arsenal players Kai Havertz and Riccardo Calafiori reaching out to examine the central cannon wheel detail of the upcycled crest sculpture.
At the centre of the installation, Arsenal’s cannon was reconstructed using components from an Airbus A380. A main landing gear wheel hub forms the cannon wheel, a section of titanium bleed air duct was reshaped into its barrel, and composite floor panels form its three-dimensional body.
Sheets of Boeing 777 aluminium fuselage skin make up the face of the shield, with cargo tracks adapted to form the outer edge and internal frame. Aircraft windows were individually shaped to create the backlit Arsenal lettering. Painted in official club colours, the sculpture rests on an illuminated black tile base.
Transported from Dubai to London on an Emirates SkyCargo freighter, the crest was unveiled by Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline, and Richard Garlick, chief executive of Arsenal. It is now permanently displayed in the stadium’s hospitality space.
Sir Tim Clark and Richard Garlick shaking hands in front of the upcycled crest, flanked by two Emirates cabin crew members in uniform.
Clark said, “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.”
Garlick said, “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.”
Group portrait of Per Mertesacker, Kai Havertz, Martin Ødegaard, Riccardo Calafiori, and Emirates cabin crew posing around the upcycled Arsenal crest.
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