Why a red-nosed Emirates A380 at DXB is stealing everyone’s attention this Christmas

Dubai: Emirates has turned its flagship superjumbo into the “Sleigh380”, complete with a glowing red nose straight out of Rudolph’s playbook, and suddenly Santa’s ride has gone fully long-haul.

The Dubai airline’s annual Christmas greeting has levelled up this year, imagining an Airbus A380 pushing back from Dubai International with a belly-hold full of gifts and goodies destined for Santa’s nicest passengers.

In this version of the North Pole, ground handlers are dnata elves: carefully stacking presents onto a gigantic sleigh hitched to the aircraft, before the Sleigh380 powers down the runway and disappears into the winter sky on global delivery duty.​

The reel taps into pure nostalgia and aviation geek culture in one sweep – red nose, jumbo jet, Dubai skyline – but it is the caption that delivers the clever wink.

Is that AI?

“Nope, this isn’t AI,” Emirates points out, pre-empting the obvious question in a year when most timelines are flooded with generative filters and text-to-video stunts.

Every frame has been handcrafted with longtime collaborator @100.pixels, the digital artist behind several of the airline’s earlier viral A380 moments, turning the spot into a quiet flex about craft at a time when many brands are relying more on prompts than painstaking pixels.

Either way, totally worth it. The airline’s audience on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms is loving the action. @100.pixels wrote, "I would like to book the Business class seat on the Sleigh, please. Merry Christmas."

Christmas meals 40,000 ft in the sky

This is Emirates’ second Christmas special. Last week, the airline posted a reel featuring television personality Andi Peters who promoted the airline’s gourmet-style meals onboard during the festive season.

Throughout December, passengers flying with Emirates can expect a sprinkle of holiday magic, from festive drinks and desserts to winter-inspired lounges and even limited-edition gifts.

One of the busiest travel periods in the world, the airline expects to handle 2.3 million departures and 2.5 million arrivals during the holiday period.

Travellers can tuck into traditional Christmas dishes specially reimagined for the skies — roasted turkey with chestnut stuffing, truffle potato gratin and caramelised Brussels sprouts are on the menu, alongside chef-curated mains such as herb-crusted lamb shank and duck confit glazed in cranberry jus.

Desserts will include fruitcake, festive mousse, and a Santa-inspired strawberry-and-cream creation for First Class guests.

As airports across the UAE brace for their annual Christmas rush, the red-nosed A380 serves as a reminder that even in a highly technical industry, there is still room for humour — especially during the holidays.