Video: Emirates releases behind-the-scenes footage of latest Burj Khalifa promo in Dubai

The flypast involved the A380 flying at an altitude of only 2,700 feet, the exact height of Burj Khalifa, at a very low speed of 145 knots

by Varun Godinho

January 17, 2022

Emirates has revealed a behind-the-scenes video of its latest ad shot at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai to promote the ongoing Expo 2020 Dubai.

The latest promo shows stuntwoman and skydiver Nicole Smith-Ludvik standing at the pinnacle of the Burj Khalifa by Emaar once again, holding up message boards with an invitation to visit the Expo 2020 Dubai, on the iconic Emirates A380.

She then gestures to a Emirates A380 wearing the Expo 2020 Dubai livery, which soars in the background as she stands on the spire of the world’s tallest building.

The ad also features dynamic aerial views of Dubai, its skyline, and culminates in a flypast over the Al Wasl dome at the Expo 2020 site.

The new behind-the-scenes video details the meticulous planning involved in pulling of the ad and conducting the low flying manoeuvres.

The carefully choreographed flypast involved the A380 flying at an altitude of only 2,700 feet, the exact height of Burj Khalifa. The aircraft also flew at a very low speed of 145 knots – the average average cruising speed of an A380 is approximately 480 knots.

Emirates said that the low speed ensured the aircraft could efficiently and continuously circle around the Burj Khalifa and achieve a tight radius without drifting away.

In total, the Emirates A380 circled the Burj Khalifa 11 times to get a right selection of shots for the ad.

The aircraft also appeared as if it was flying very close to the stuntwoman as she was standing on the Burj, when in fact it was over a half a mile away.

During the planning stages, Emirates pilots, Flight Operation teams, Air Traffic Controllers, helicopter pilots, drone operators and the filming teams, the Emirates marketing team, the Emaar team, regulatory teams as well as the UAE GCAA and DCAA worked closely to discuss and deliberate every detail and aspect of the mission, choreographing the flight plan, running risk assessments, accounting for air traffic, areas over flown, as well as gauging potential wind and weather conditions in order to secure the necessary approvals.

Pilots also trained multiple times in the A380 flight simulator to ensure every visual reference point was covered and tested and every manoeuvre checked prior to the mission.

The simulator visits also helped establish the way all stakeholders would communicate during the flypasts and filming to ensure everyone was operating safely.

In addition, the team closely liaised with Dubai ATC to ensure that all activity was protected by blocking the airspace through a Temporary Restricted Area during all of its holding patterns.

The filming and low flypasts were conducted on October 13-14, 2021, and the timings of the flights were scheduled outside of the peak departures window at Dubai International to further mitigate any risks.

The new global multi-channel campaign will run in 12 languages, debuting across 19 countries covering TV, cinema, digital and social media platforms. The ad is part of a wider $20m commitment Emirates has made to help create awareness and drive more visits to Dubai and Expo 2020 Dubai.

“Now at the halfway mark of its six-month run, the excitement and momentum around Expo 2020 Dubai remain strong. Our latest campaign boldly carries the Expo message and invites people to come and experience what is truly the world’s greatest show,” said Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline.

Emirates is the Premier Partner and Official Airline of the Expo. The special Expo 2020 Dubai livery appears on three Emirates A380 aircraft. The distinctive blue Expo aircraft will join the 40 other special liveries dedicated to the Expo, which have collectively flown to over 130 destinations across the Emirates network since 2018.

Read: Emirates reveals new nose-to-tail Expo 2020 Dubai livery on A380

This is the second occasion that Emirates has taken to the top of the Burj Khalifa in recent times to promote its activities. In August last year, to mark the UAE’s removal from the UK’s red list and its addition to amber list, Smith-Ludvik stood at the top of the Burj with signboard announcing the removal of the UAE UK’s red list.