15 engineers, 34 days: How Emirates turned aircraft parts into Arsenal’s giant crest

At first glance, it looks like a giant Arsenal crest. But behind the 2.4-metre illuminated sculpture at the Emirates Stadium is a story that brings together two very different worlds of football and aviation.

Created by Emirates Engineering to celebrate the airline’s long-standing partnership with Arsenal, the Aircrafted Arsenal Crest is more than a piece of artwork. It is a tribute built with aircraft materials, engineering skills and plenty of football passion.

34 days and 15 engineers

The sculpture was designed and built entirely by Emirates Engineering in Dubai. A team of 15 engineers spent 34 days turning aviation materials and components into one of football's most recognisable symbols.

The process involved much more than simply putting pieces together. The engineers had to clean, cut, curve, machine, rivet, assemble and paint the materials before bringing the giant crest to life.

For the team, the project offered an opportunity to use the skills normally applied to aircraft maintenance in a completely different way.

And the result is hard to miss. Standing 2.4 metres tall and illuminated, the Aircrafted Arsenal Crest now welcomes visitors at the entrance to the Directors Box and Diamond Club at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in London.

From aircraft to football

Perhaps the most interesting part of the sculpture is what lies within it. Some of the materials used to create the crest originally had a very different purpose. Cargo tracks, aircraft floor panels and roller components from Emirates' cargo operations were incorporated into the structure.

In the hands of the engineering team, components designed for aviation were transformed into part of a symbol recognised by millions of Arsenal supporters around the world. It is a fitting connection between two organisations whose identities have become closely linked over the years.

A careful journey to London

Building the sculpture in Dubai was only half the challenge. Once it was completed, the team had to get the giant, one-of-a-kind artwork safely to London. The crest was carefully placed inside a custom-built protective crate before being handed over to Emirates SkyCargo.

The cargo division transported the sculpture from Dubai to London Stansted, using its experience in handling specialised and delicate shipments.

For a sculpture of this size and importance, every stage of the journey mattered. The same attention to detail that goes into moving valuable and sensitive cargo was applied to the Aircrafted Arsenal Crest.

Eventually, the sculpture arrived at its new home, the Emirates Stadium where it now stands proudly for Arsenal supporters and visitors to see.

A partnership built over years

The project also celebrates a partnership that has become one of the most recognisable in football. Emirates and Arsenal first joined hands in 2006, beginning a relationship that has now lasted for two decades. The partnership has recently been extended through 2033, taking it well into its third decade.

Emirates will continue as Arsenal's front-of-shirt and training kit partner, while also retaining the naming rights to the club's iconic home. For Arsenal fans, the crest is therefore more than an impressive piece of engineering. It represents a partnership that has been part of the club's modern identity for generations of supporters.

Engineering with a football heart

The Aircrafted Arsenal Crest is ultimately a story about bringing people and ideas together. Aircraft engineers used their everyday skills in an entirely new setting. Aviation materials found a second life as part of a football symbol. Emirates SkyCargo turned a challenging transportation job into a carefully managed journey. And Arsenal gained a new piece of artwork that celebrates a partnership familiar to fans across the world.

For football supporters, it is a reminder that the game extends far beyond what happens on the pitch. Clubs are built through relationships, memories and symbols and sometimes, as this Arsenal crest shows, those symbols can even take flight before finding their place at home.

At the Emirates Stadium, the illuminated crest now has a permanent place. But its journey from an engineering workshop in Dubai to the home of Arsenal tells a story that is every bit as interesting as the sculpture itself.