Emirates keeps legend Beckenbauer on course
Attending almost every game at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ may be an impossible task for most but for the legendary Franz Beckenbauer, President of the Organising Committee (OC), and his team, it’s a job made all the more easier thanks to the use of a helicopter sponsored exclusively by Emirates, an Official Partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™.
No matter if the match is in Berlin, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Kaiserslautern, Cologne, Leipzig, Nuremberg or Stuttgart, Germany’s most famous football icon has the busiest diary of anyone involved with the world’s greatest sporting occasion. And with the now familiar sight of the Emirates-sponsored helicopter – an Augusta 109 Power E – hovering over the 12 stadia, ‘Der Kaiser’ remains on course to take in a staggering 48 of the 64 matches.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group said the Dubai-based international airline was proud to be able to assist Beckenbauer and the OC in making the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ a success.
“In his function as Emirates Global Ambassador for Sport and Social Activities, Franz Beckenbauer has been closely connected to us for many years,” said Sheikh Ahmed.
“As Official Partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Emirates is glad to assist the Local Organising Committee in making the event a success. Attending to their duties around Germany is a particular challenge on days with multiple match fixtures, and the quickest possible way to get to different locations across Germany during the tournament is via helicopter. Emirates does not normally operate helicopter flights, but providing efficient and innovative air transport services is nothing new to us!”
Sponsored by Emirates, the Augusta 109 Power E has twin engines each with a capacity of 640 HP, boasts a top speed of 300kmh and enjoys a reach of 900km. The modern helicopter – which can operate on night flights as well as in bad weather – is manned by two pilots and features a comfortable cabin capable of carrying up to six passengers.
Welcomed by Emirates cabin crew Farida Ahouani and Kylie Pattison, Franz Beckenbauer prepares to take in another FIFA World Cup™ match courtesy of the Emirates-sponsored helicopter.
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