Etihad reveals new McLaren livery on Dreamliner

Etihad Airways has unveiled a new livery featuring the branding of its partner, McLaren Racing, marking the first time a Formula 1 team has been featured on a wide-body aircraft. The specially painted Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner celebrates the partnership between the two brands.

The design combines Etihad’s aircraft livery with McLaren Racing’s distinctive papaya colour and branding, creating a prominent motorsport-themed design on a commercial aircraft. The airline said the aircraft will offer passengers and fans a new way to connect with McLaren Racing.

The Boeing 787 will operate across Etihad’s global network, connecting Abu Dhabi with destinations including Dublin, Milan, Vienna, Bali, Bangkok and Delhi. This will take the partnership’s branding to destinations across the airline’s network.

The livery was unveiled at a record-breaking event held at Etihad Engineering's facility in Abu Dhabi. The reveal also set a record for the largest single-piece kabuki reveal, a title independently verified by Guinness World Records.

“Etihad and McLaren Racing are two ambitious global brands with a shared focus on performance and a drive to keep moving forward. This aircraft will proudly carry that story from our home in Abu Dhabi to cities around the world, bringing our partnership closer to fans wherever it flies and sharing the excitement of Formula 1 with people across our expanding global network. Formula 1 has a remarkable ability to connect people and create excitement across borders, and together with McLaren we have an opportunity to bring fans even closer to the action and create memorable moments for them around the world. I look forward to seeing the aircraft in the skies,” said Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways.

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, said: “It’s fantastic to see our partnership with Etihad Airways brought to life in such a unique way. The aircraft livery brings together two iconic global brands and will connect McLaren Racing and Etihad with fans and customers around the world. We look forward to seeing our trademark papaya up in the sky.”

The new livery is the latest development in the partnership between Etihad Airways and McLaren Racing, which was announced earlier this year. Etihad is an Official Partner of the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team and the McLaren Hypercar Team for the 2026 season and beyond.

The partnership brings together two industries that share a focus on technology, teamwork and high performance. As McLaren competes at racing events worldwide, Etihad’s network connects Abu Dhabi with several key destinations on the Formula 1 calendar, including Australia, China, Japan, Singapore, the UK, Spain, Italy and the United States.

In addition to the aircraft livery, Etihad branding is displayed on the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team’s race cars, including the rear wing and halo of the MCL40, as well as on the helmets of the team’s drivers.

The partnership builds on Etihad’s long-standing involvement in motorsport, including its role as title sponsor of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009. Abu Dhabi is set to host the season finale in December.