Key Notes
- Etihad has unveiled a McLaren Racing livery on Boeing 787-10 A6-BMI for regular passenger services.
- The first flight in the new colors is scheduled from Abu Dhabi to Madrid on November 10.
- Announced destinations include Dublin, Milan, Vienna, Bali, Bangkok and Delhi, with aircraft assignments subject to change.
Etihad Airways has unveiled a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner in McLaren Racing’s signature papaya orange, putting the team’s colors on an aircraft that will carry regular passengers across its international network. The paint scheme brings the airline’s Formula 1 partnership into airports across Europe and Asia.
The first passenger service in the new livery is scheduled for November 10, with Flight EY103 departing Abu Dhabi for Madrid at 2:15 p.m. local time. The aircraft is also expected to operate an Abu Dhabi–Jakarta return journey in the coming days.
Where Passengers Can See the McLaren Dreamliner
Etihad’s announcement names Dublin, Milan and Vienna among the European destinations where the aircraft is expected to appear. In Asia, the airline has highlighted Bali, Bangkok and Delhi.
These are planned appearances across Etihad’s network, rather than newly launched routes. The special livery will travel with the aircraft as it moves between scheduled services, giving passengers and aviation enthusiasts opportunities to see it beyond the Formula 1 calendar.
The design combines a bright orange fuselage and engines with a dark cockpit-window mask and black detailing toward the rear. Etihad’s geometric tail pattern remains, bringing the airline’s established identity together with McLaren’s colors.
A Partnership That Extends Beyond the Racetrack
McLaren’s partnership announcement on February 26 named Etihad an official partner for its Formula 1 and Hypercar programs for the 2026 season and beyond. It also promised a McLaren-branded Dreamliner later in the year.
The agreement includes branding on McLaren’s Formula 1 cars, including the MCL40’s rear wing and halo, and on drivers’ helmets. Digital content and fan experiences form another part of the relationship, linking the airline’s route network with the team’s international audience.
Etihad has sponsored the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009. The new aircraft was unveiled at Etihad Engineering’s Abu Dhabi facility on November 9, ahead of the season finale in December. Etihad describes it as the first Formula 1 team livery applied to a commercial widebody aircraft.
The airline also said the unveiling earned a Guinness World Records title for the largest single-piece kabuki reveal, using a dramatic curtain drop to uncover the aircraft.
How to Identify the Papaya Aircraft
The Dreamliner carries registration A6-BMI, which flight-tracking records identify as a Boeing 787-10. That registration is the useful detail for anyone following its movements or hoping to photograph it at an airport.
Etihad has named destinations for the aircraft, but has not published a fixed rotation covering every flight. Passengers hoping to travel on the McLaren jet should check the individual flight’s aircraft assignment close to departure and allow for operational changes.
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