From Falcons To Strawberries: Fun Facts About How Emirates Is Intricately Tied To The Wimbledon

As the Wimbledon Championships commence at the All England Club, Emirates airline has highlighted its unique partnership with the world's oldest tennis tournament.

Both entities are globally recognised legacy brands, and their collaboration showcases some interesting connections.

1. Strawberry Skies

Wimbledon is famous for its strawberries, with 50,000 kilograms consumed each year during the event. Emirates serves 98,000 kilograms of fresh strawberries annually on flights worldwide, often featuring UAE-grown strawberries from Bustanica, the world's largest vertical farm in Dubai.

2. A Birds Eye View

The All England Club's grounds are guarded by Rufus, a Harris Hawk who has been protecting Wimbledon courts for a decade. Rufus is a fan favourite and even has his own accreditation pass. Similarly, Emirates acknowledges the historical and cultural significance of falcons in the UAE by welcoming them onboard flights with personalised health certifications and passports.

3. Flower Power

Over 50,000 plants adorn Wimbledon Grounds each year, including the iconic ivy on the Clubhouse exterior walls. This symbolises tradition, resilience, and permanence. In contrast, Emirates cabins always feature fresh purple orchids, which represent beauty, elegance, and luxury. The airline purchases 1.2 million individual orchids annually.

4. Broadcast Behemoth

Wimbledon matches are broadcast to more than 200 countries worldwide. Emirates' inflight entertainment system ice offers customers over 2,000 movies and hundreds of TV series in over 50 languages.

5. Musical Moments

Memorable music moments at Wimbledon include Sir Cliff Richard's impromptu performance during a rain delay in 1996. Emirates' catchy brand music was composed by Christian Saglie in January 2012 and is now synonymous with the airline experience. The musical journey of the sonic is based on a single theme – a descending 3 notes heard in the beginning.

6. Tennis Tokens

Wimbledon fans enjoy purchasing memorabilia from the Wimbledon Shop. Similarly, Emirates merchandise is popular enough to warrant its own online store and several physical stores selling various items.

7. Tradition and Innovation

While Wimbledon embraces tradition with grass courts and white dress codes, it has also adopted innovations like retractable roofs on Centre Court and No.1 Court to ensure uninterrupted play despite unpredictable weather conditions.

Innovation is also at the heart of Emirates' philosophy; from being the first airline to install individual television screens in all seats in 1992 to launching onboard Wi-Fi in 2011 and initiating the largest aircraft refresh programme in history in 2023.