Watch: Behind-the-scenes how Emirates performed viral stunt with Airbus A380 and Burj Khalifa

Emirates reveals how they performed the viral Dubai Expo promotion stunt with a woman standing on top of the Burj Khalifa while an Airbus A380 flew past behind her.

Stuntwoman on top of Burj Khalifa

Emirates airline has released a video showing how it shot its latest promotional video for Dubai Expo 2020, which features a stunt woman dressed as a cabin crew member on top of the Burj Khalifa holding a series of cards as an Airbus A380 with special livery flew behind her. The trip began as an idea, just like previous Emirates projects involving risky flights. In order to get the necessary permission to complete the flight, the airline worked with various companies and agencies throughout the UAE.

We did it again…only better! Watch behind the scenes to see how we took our A380 for a spin around the @BurjKhalifa for the making of our new advertisement. pic.twitter.com/cnjeeHc7VO

— Emirates Airline (@emirates) January 17, 2022

There was a lot of planning put into the stunt, from where the plane would fly to the wind impact and when the stunt would take place. In cooperation with Dubai's ATC, Emirates made sure the required airspace was not open to other traffic. To ensure that paying passengers were not impacted, the stunt was timed outside of peak flight hours at Dubai International Airport. Many times in the simulator, the pilots had choreographed and practiced the flight before even getting their hands on the real thing. 

Once all the preparations for the stunt had been completed and all the necessary permission and support had been obtained, the stunt was finally filmed. Several hours were spent flying around Dubai in the A380 on October 13th and 14th of 2021. To ensure that the camera crew captured the exact shot, A380 flew past the Burj Khalifa 11 times.

During the pass of the Burj Khalifa, the jet flew at the exact height of 2,700 feet to ensure that the aircraft would be right behind the stuntwoman. Approximately half a mile was the distance between the giant A380 and the tower, according to the airline.

During the giant plane's circling of the tower, it flew at 145 knots (269km/h). A plane typically flies much faster than this, except when it is about to land. Depending on the airplane's landing weight, an Airbus A380 flies at 140 knots before touching down at 130 knots. As for the aircraft's cruise speed, Emirates noted that it is typically about 480 knots.