Emirates sponsors Barcelona Open

Emirates have entered another major sponsorship in Spain by supporting the Barcelona Open tennis tournament, in a deal which runs until 2018. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the historic Real Club de Tenis Barcelona.

Emirates will have exclusive airline status in a partnership that will enable it to reach out to and engage with tennis fans across Spain. This year’s tournament will take place from 20 to 28 April in Barcelona, where Emirates launched services less than nine months ago.

As part of the five-year agreement, the airline will have promotional rights to integrated branding and digital elements both on and off the court. The airline will also receive interactive hospitality rights which include a double marquee in the popular VIP Village and an exhibition booth in the Fan Boulevard.

“Our sponsorship with the prestigious Barcelona Open represents a further strengthening of Emirates’ commitment to Spain. This event will provide a high-profile and dynamic platform for Emirates that we hope will create a deeper connection with our customers,” Spain and Portugal Manager Fernando Suarez de Gongora said. 

He also added that their commitment for tennis will be globally recognised, “Our commitment to tennis through this globally recognised tournament will now be reflected at the local level in Barcelona, empowering fans through sharing and supporting their enthusiasm for the sport.”

Staged at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, the oldest Spanish tennis club, The Barcelona Open, Trofeo Conde de Godó, is the oldest tennis tournament in Spain and one of the most prestigious clay court tournaments on the circuit.

The ATP World Tour 500 Event will celebrate its 61st edition in 2013. The tournament is also one of the most important events on the Barcelona social calendar.

“We’re very pleased with Emirates’ participation at the tournament. It is a very prestigious international organisation and for us it means a strong boost in the tournament’s international positioning,” Real Club Tenis Barcelona President Albert Agustí said.

This is Emirates’ second tennis sponsorship in Europe. Just last year, Emirates became the Official Airline and Premium Partner of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Italian Open).

Emirates recently announced a five-year global partnership with the ATP, which sees Emirates, become the Official Airline of the ATP World Tour, as well as the new title sponsor of the ATP rankings, in addition to the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour finals.

Emirates, is the Official Airline of the US Open and the title sponsor of the Emirates Airline US Open series, 10 events which combine to form the summer hard-court season that leads into the US Open.

Emirates, is the Official Airline of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Rogers Cup in Canada and and the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, the most attended tennis tournament in the world outside of the four grand slams.

The Air line currently offers 21 weekly flights to Spain; a double daily flight to Madrid and a daily flight to Barcelona, supporting a US$ 1.63 billion relationship between Spain and the UAE, according to the Ministry of Foreign Trade.

Last month, the airline brought its popular A380 to Barcelona for its first ever scheduled service. The A380 service operated on both 24 February and 1 March 2013. Emirates currently serve Barcelona, with a 777-300ER offering 360 seats in a three-class configuration.

With a fleet of 198 aircraft and the worlds’ largest Boeing 777 and A380 fleet, Emirates flies to 132 destinations in 77 countries across six continents.