Emirates fleet to carry logo on underside of aircraft

The distinctive logo - the Emirates name in white on a red field - will be nearly 12 metres long, with the initial letter 'E' standing 2.3 metres tall, complementing the existing logo in gold on each side of the fuselage.

The new 777-300ER aircraft is the first of 30 such aircraft on order and for delivery from now until late 2008. All will carry the new underside logo, as will the existing Emirates fleet.

Tim Clark, Emirates Airline's President, said: "The new underside logo reflects Emirates' confidence in its brand which stands for the highest levels of service excellence."

Due for delivery from October 2006, the 45 double-decker Airbus A380-800s on order will also go into service carrying the logo, which will stretch a massive 23.5 metres in length, with the initial 'E' standing 3.37 metres in height.

Emirates now has 73 aircraft, including 29 Airbus A330-200s, 12 Boeing 777-300s, nine Boeing 777-200s, eight Airbus 340-500s, eight A340-300s, one Airbus A310 and six Boeing 747 freighters.

Its current order book of 100 aircraft includes 45 Airbus A380-800s (two of them freighters), 30 Boeing 777-300ERs (plus nine options), two more ultra-long-range Airbus A340-500s, three Airbus A310-300 freighters and 20 Airbus A340-600HGWs. By 2012 Emirates expects to have twice as many jets in its fleet as it does today.