Following the unveiling of the Aircrafted Arsenal Crest, Emirates has taken viewers behind the scenes to reveal the engineering expertise, craftsmanship and precision involved in creating the striking 2.4-metre illuminated sculpture.
Designed and built entirely in-house by Emirates Engineering teams, the Crest was brought to life by 15 experts over just 34 days. The process involved transforming aviation materials through cleaning, cutting, curving, machining, riveting, assembling and painting to create one of football’s most recognisable emblems.
Once construction was completed, the sculpture began its journey to Emirates Stadium in London. Carefully secured inside a custom-built protective crate, the Aircrafted Arsenal Crest was handed over to Emirates SkyCargo for transportation from Dubai to London Stansted.
With decades of experience transporting specialised and high-value cargo, including advanced technology and cultural artefacts, Emirates SkyCargo ensured that the unique installation was carefully handled throughout its journey.
The project also highlights the creative reuse of aircraft components. Materials sourced from cargo operations, including cargo tracks, floor panels and roller components, were incorporated into the construction of the Crest, helping to provide both structure and form to the iconic emblem.
The Making Of video offers a closer look at the people, processes and aviation expertise behind the project, showcasing how teams from across Emirates’ operations collaborated to create a unique tribute to one of the airline’s longest-standing partnerships.
The partnership between Emirates and Arsenal began in 2006 and has recently been extended through to 2033. As the two organisations enter the next chapter of their relationship, Emirates will continue as Arsenal’s front-of-shirt, training kit and stadium naming rights partner.
The Aircrafted Arsenal Crest represents more than a celebration of football. By transforming retired aviation materials into a distinctive piece of sporting art, the project brings together Emirates’ engineering heritage and Arsenal’s football legacy in a single iconic creation.
BestWeb.LK 2026 Crowns Sri Lanka’s Best Websites at Grand Awards Night
LK Domain Registry marked the 16th year of the BestWeb.LK Awards, Sri Lanka’s national web competition and a benchmark for digital excellence, with a grand awards ceremony held recently at the Monarch Imperial.
The event was graced by Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister, who presented the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards for the Best Overall Websites. The ceremony was also attended by several distinguished guests and industry representatives.
LK Domain Registry was represented by Indika De Zoysa, Chairman, and Prof. Gihan Dias, Director, CEO and Domain Registrar, together with other members of the organisation.
A total of 106 awards across 24 categories were presented during the ceremony, recognising outstanding achievements and innovation across Sri Lanka’s digital landscape.
The Overall Gold Award was presented to homelandsskyline.lk, while parliament.lk secured the Overall Silver Award and jatholdings.lk received the Overall Bronze Award.
The awards also recognised excellence in web development. 3CS was named Best Web Developer – Gold, followed by Web Lankan (Pvt) Ltd. with Silver and Shanika Rajapaksha with Bronze.
Addressing the gathering, Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister, highlighted the growing importance of digital presence in shaping how organisations and countries are perceived.
“Today, a nation's digital presence often shapes its reputation long before its people have the opportunity to do so. Consider how many important decisions we now make before ever speaking to a person. Many of our first interactions now happen through a screen,” he said.
“Every well-designed website contributes not only to an organisation's reputation but also to how Sri Lanka is experienced by the world. Digital quality is no longer simply a technical matter. It's an economic advantage, a competitive strength and increasingly a national imperative,” Saputhanthri added.
Reflecting on the evolution of the awards, Prof. Gihan Dias, CEO & Domain Registrar of LK Domain Registry, said the initiative was established to recognise excellence in Sri Lanka’s digital presence.
“Over 16 years ago, we felt it was important to have something which recognises who we are on the Internet and also to recognise those companies or individuals who have come up with excellent websites which are useful, informative and very easy to use. So we came up with this idea of BestWeb.LK Awards,” he said.
Dias also highlighted the contribution of the competition’s experienced judging panel and the increasing use of technology in the evaluation process.
“We have been very fortunate to get an experienced panel of judges who have been with us for a long time. Today, we also use a lot of software and a bit of AI to look at your websites and see whether they meet the required standard to be a winner,” he added.
BestWeb.LK features 24 award categories covering a broad range of industries and sectors across Sri Lanka, with all .lk websites eligible to apply. Entries are evaluated against defined judging criteria by a panel comprising ICT professionals, academics and business leaders.
With the BestWeb.LK 2026 awards now concluded, attention will soon turn towards the next edition. TopWeb.LK, the entry platform and qualifying stage for BestWeb.LK 2027, is set to commence soon, providing website owners with an opportunity to showcase their digital presence, benchmark their websites and take the first step towards competing in the next BestWeb.LK awards.
The Making of an Icon: Emirates Reveals How the Aircrafted Arsenal Crest Was Created from Upcycled Aircraft Parts
