Dubai: Emirates, in collaboration with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), celebrated the UAE’s visionary national space initiatives with a one-off special flight. Dr Sultan AlNeyadi, who recently returned from a 6-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS) and Hazzaa AlMansoori, the first Emirati astronaut in space were guests of honour onboard.

An Emirates A380 was emblazoned with a specially designed astronaut decal, celebrating the UAE’s vision to build its capabilities in space exploration and aerospace innovation on the global stage.

The special flight EK2641 took off from Dubai International Airport of November 27 and cruised across all seven Emirates with astronauts and crew members of Expedition 69 along with close to 200 employees from MBRSC.

Before take-off, Dr Sultan AlNeyadi and Hazzaa AlMansoori visited Emirates Headquarters and were welcomed by Emirates' President Sir Tim Clark and Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha. Emirates employees then had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a Q and A followed by a meet and greet with the two admired astronauts.

Established in 2006, MBRSC is an advanced scientific and technological hub, responsible for making the UAE a world leader in space services and exploration. MBRSC launched several exploration initiatives, including the successful Emirates Mars Mission in 2021 which has been collecting essential data on the red planet’s atmosphere for over one Martian year – equivalent to approximately two Earth years.
-N