Dubai: Emirates continues to be the most valuable airline brand, pipping the likes of Qatar Airways, British Airways and US carrier United, according to the latest consultancy Brand Finance report released this week.

With a brand valuation of $7.7 billion (Dh28.3 billion), ranked 171st on the report that ranks the top 500 global brands.

The airline has been ranked the most valuable airline brand five years in a row since it took the spot from Germany’s Lufthansa in 2012.

This year’s list features the largest number of airlines — nine — since 2009 when 12 airlines were featured with Emirates also topping the ranking among airlines that year.

Qatar Airways, Air China and China Eastern Airlines feature on this list this year, having not been on it last year while this year also sees Lufthansa fall off.

Strategic investment

“We invest strategically in building our brand and it is reflected in everything we do…” Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ divisional senior vice-president for Corporate Communications, Marketing & Brand, said in a statement on Monday.

“We work hard to identify, anticipate, and meet the ever-changing needs of our diverse global audiences, as we firmly believe that this will position us to outperform in our industry now and in the future.”

US carrier Delta was the second most valuable airline ranked 218, followed by American Airlines (227), British Airways (316), United (327), Air China (364), Southwest (426), Qatar Airways (450) and China Eastern Airlines (464).

Emirates also came out as the most valuable brand in the Middle East, ahead of Saudi Arabia’s STC ranked at No 258, Etisalat at No 322 and Qatar Airways.

Emirates has invested heavily in sponsoring football clubs across Europe including Spain’s Real Madrid, England’s Arsenal and France’s Paris Saint Germain.

It also the current sponsor of the FA Cup, a British football tournament, having signed a three-year deal at a reported cost of £30 million (Dh169 million) and last year recruited Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston to become of the face of the airline in new advertising campaign for a reported fee of $5 million (Dh18.36 million).

The top ten brands globally were Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon.com, Microsoft, American telecoms Verizon and AT&T, Walmart, China Mobile and Wells Fargo.