Etihad Airways has put its McLaren Racing-themed Boeing 787 Dreamliner into service, with flight EY103 departing Abu Dhabi for Madrid on November 10, hours after the aircraft was unveiled at the airline’s hangar in Abu Dhabi in what it described as a world-record breaking event.
The livery, which carries McLaren Racing’s signature papaya colours across the wide-body fuselage, is billed by Etihad as the first racing team livery applied to a wide-body aircraft anywhere in the world. The Dreamliner will now rotate across Etihad’s global network, bringing the branding to destinations beyond the Abu Dhabi circuit.
Passengers on the inaugural flight received commemorative Etihad and McLaren Racing cards and branded cookies. Those in Business class were also given branded caps and cards signed by McLaren Racing drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
The launch coincides with Abu Dhabi’s preparations for the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December. Etihad is using the moment to extend the partnership beyond the aircraft exterior: for the next month, the airline is offering a limited-edition co-branded loungewear collection exclusively to guests travelling in Business, First, and The Residence on longer routes.
The loungewear launches on the McLaren livery aircraft only until 18 November, before rolling out across the long-haul fleet through the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Business guests receive a crew-neck design; those in First and The Residence get a zip-neck variation. Both feature Etihad and McLaren Racing branding with papaya detailing, available in sizes S to XL, and passengers keep the set after the flight.
