The Australian Open and Emirates Airline have announced a new Grand Slam partnership, launching a multi-year deal that will see the two global brands unite for the first time.

The announcement was made at Melbourne Airport on Sunday, with Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley describing the global airline as “a perfect fit” for Australia’s largest annual sporting event.

“We are delighted to join forces with Emirates and welcome the airline to the Australian Open family,” Tiley said.

“Emirates is a prestigious international brand that closely aligns with our values and links perfectly with our ambition to extend our global reach. Each year we pride ourselves on presenting a world class sporting event at Melbourne Park, and sharing that experience with millions of tennis fans worldwide.

“Emirates is another world class brand that strives to bring people together all over the world, every day. We look forward to commencing our relationship this summer and we’re excited to grow the partnership into the future.”

Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said the new deal reflected the airline’s commitment to tennis and its strategic ambition to promote Australia as a travel destination.

“The Australian Open is a first class sporting event drawing a truly global audience to Melbourne Park each summer, while millions more watch the action on screen,” Sir Tim said.

“Our commitment to the Australian Open is a natural extension of our existing tennis sponsorship portfolio around the globe, which now includes three of the four Grand Slams.

“Partnering with the Australian Open demonstrates our ongoing commitment to Australians. Sharing and supporting our customers’ passions is key to our sponsorship activity, and we plan to utilise this partnership to enhance the fan experience and create an even stronger connection with our customers in Australia,” Sir Tim concluded.

Emirates’ tennis portfolio includes some of the highest profile events on the tennis calendar, including the Grand Slams Roland Garros and the US Open, the US Open Series, the Dubai Tennis Championships (UAE), BNP Paribas Open (USA), Barcelona Open (Spain), Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Italy) and Rogers Cup (Canada).

Emirates is the official airline of the ATP World Tour and naming rights sponsor of the ATP rankings, and from today will be recognised as the official airline partner of the Australian Open.

In Australia, Emirates’ diverse sponsorship portfolio includes the Emirates Melbourne Cup, Emirates Australian Open golf tournament, PGA Championship, Perth International, Collingwood Football Club, the Adelaide Festival and the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras.

Emirates operates 84 flights a week from Australia to Dubai, including four flights per day onboard the flagship A380 aircraft from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The expansive global route network offers Australians connections to more than 140 destinations in more than 80 countries worldwide.

– See more at: http://www.ausopen.com/news#australian-open-takes-off-with-emirates-931