How Emirates filmed their incredible Burj Khalifa flypast stunt
Editor's Note
What do you get when you cross an Emirates flight attendant with the world’s tallest building and add an A380 jumbo jet?
Answer: A tear-jerkingly expensive, but spectacular, airline promotional video!
For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for TPG daily newsletter.
In Emirates’ latest commercial released on Jan. 14, a woman dressed in the company’s iconic uniform stands on the uppermost pinnacle of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa holding a sign that reads: “I’m still here.”
The joke, of course, is that she's been standing there in the swirling winds of the earth's troposphere for five months since the last time Emirates did a similar stunt for an ad last August.
Related: Get 2,000 free miles just for signing up for this lucrative mileage program
Then – in what is surely a nod to Bob Dylan’s 1965 "Subterranean Homesick Blues" music video or maybe that scene in "Love Actually" where Andrew Lincoln tells Keira Knightly he loves her while her boyfriend watches TV – she pulls away the card to reveal another: “Wow! I can see Dubai Expo.”
The world’s greatest show brings friends together on top of the world’s tallest building. Enjoy a free @Expo2020Dubai day pass with every ticket. Fly Emirates, Fly Better.
@EmaarDubai pic.twitter.com/JyKebztZaF
— Emirates Airline (@emirates) January 14, 2022
And as if it weren’t terrifying enough to see her teetering, and smiling, over half a mile above ground, an Emirate’s Airbus 380 booms into the shot, so close that you think she could reach out and touch it.
Related: 14 things that caught me off guard in Emirates’ new premium economy
Before the advertisement ends, she manages to get through a few more cards explaining that the reason she’s up there is to tell you to fly the Emirates A380 to the Dubai World Expo, that’s currently taking place in the UAE’s millionaire’s playground.
It is a genuinely jaw-dropping piece of filming, that took weeks to organize, plan and execute.
And to prove there were no green screens involved in the making of the ad, Emirates has also released a “making of” video to show how it was really done.
Emirates Burj Khalifa commercial. (Courtesy of Emirates/YouTube)
The star of the ad is American skydiver and stuntwoman Nicole Smith-Ludvik, who climbed the iconic tower before sunrise to get to the top in time for the dawn light on Oct. 14, 2021.
Related: What it's like dining in the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa
She and the crew took the lift to the 160th floor of the Burj Khalifa, and then spent an hour climbing a narrow winding staircase to get to the very top.
There, she was attached by a safety harness to a specially-designed platform, where she stood for five hours while the A380 flew past 11 times (at 145 knots) to get the perfect shot. The flypast required the colorful A380 to fly at 2,700 feet, the same height as the Burj Khalifa.
Dubai’s air command even closed down the air space above the city so no other planes might get in the way of the jumbo jet as it circled the city for just over three hours.
It's the second time the airline has pulled a stunt like this, coming five months after it filmed a similar advert without the A380, which you can view below.
Reconnect with your loved ones or take a fabulous vacation.
From 8th August travel to the UK gets easier.#FlyEmiratesFlyBetter pic.twitter.com/pEB2qH6Vyo
— Emirates Airline (@emirates) August 5, 2021
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles50,000 Bonus MilesAnnual Fee
$250Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees