Benfica joins Emirates’ football network

Dubai-based airline Emirates has further enhanced its football sponsorship portfolio by signing a three-year partnership with Portuguese Primeira Liga champion Benfica.

Under the terms of the deal, Emirates will serve as the official airline partner of the Lisbon club until 2016.

The agreement comes just two years after Emirates began flights from Dubai to Portugal, and highlights the airline’s ongoing commitment to expand its presence in the country. Lisbon joined the Emirates network in July 2012 and all four daily Emirates flights from New Zealand provide direct connections at Dubai with the Lisbon services.

Hubert Frach, Emirates' divisional senior vice-president of commercial operations in the west, said: “We see our partnership with Benfica as an opportunity to connect with football fans in Portugal as well as the 14 million fans of the club spread across the world. Benfica has a growing international reputation as one of the most successful clubs in European football history, and fits in perfectly with our own rapidly expanding worldwide network.”

Emirates has partnerships in varying capacities with other major European clubs including Arsenal, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Hamburg SV and Olympiacos.