Ten Emirates A380 planes will have Dubai’s latest architectural marvel, the Museum of the Future, emblazoned on their bodies. They will fly to some 30 destinations around the world in the coming year, carrying the museum’s message of “creating a better future, now.”
The first Emirates A380 (A6-EVK) to sport the new livery was set to fly to Los Angeles, US on May 5. Nine other aircraft will be rolled out of the dedicated Aircraft Appearance Centre at Emirates Engineering in Dubai over the coming weeks and will be deployed on routes to Europe as well as key Arab regional cities.
Museum of the Future: How an architectural marvel is marking Dubai’s 2071 vision
“This initiative underscores the airline’s unwavering commitment to support Dubai’s vision as the leading city of the future, a hub for innovation and testbed for emerging technologies,” Emirates said on a statement on Wednesday.
“It also crystallises the UAE’s 50 years of development and progress,” it said.
Back in November, conversations with Emirates officials suggested the airline could introduce its Airbus A380 fleet to the Pakistan market, with the airline hinting at the possibility through a guarded statement that it “would love for passengers to experience the service onboard the aircraft”.
The company, which has championed the Airbus A380 as the backbone of its global airline network, has a total of 115 in its fleet with another five pending delivery, according to information available on its website.
Meanwhile, Emirates’ recent statement explained that the Museum of the Future will act as an incubator for scientists, thinkers and researchers to bring their ideas and visions of the future to life, particularly in areas like sustainability, outer space and health.
Dubai Expo 2020: Emirates pavilion showcasing futurist tech
It will also be a platform to trial and demonstrate the latest technological discoveries, with prototypes that will continually evolve from emerging start-ups and established technology enterprises.
The museum, a metallic structure on Sheikh Zayed Road with giant Arabic calligraphy that could easily be mistaken for an art installation, was inaugurated in February.
Rather than a typical museum that showcases the past, the museum will look at what life will be like in 2071 - 100 years after the founding of UAE. It will use tech like artificial intelligence plus augmented and virtual reality to provide visitors with experiences about what life will be like in the future not just on earth, but in outer space as well.
The building itself is 77 metres tall, made of stainless steel and glass, and is powered with 4,000 megawatts of solar energy. It sits on a huge green plateau, which is a garden made up of around 100 species of trees and plants, with a smart irrigation system.