Airlines

The Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts organisation plans to host five events in Asia and Australia in 2018 as it consolidates its presence in Asia-Pacific and creates more assets for its expanding regional sponsorship roster.

Dubai-based Emirates is the biggest sponsor in the airlines sector by total spend, biggest deal, number of deals and geographic coverage, according to research by Sports Sponsorship Insider into the airlines sector.

Flag carrier Qatar Airways this month became the latest major company to sign a deal with Formula E – having decided that the series has reached critical mass and good level of credibility – as the brand bolsters its portfolio ahead of the end of its Barcelona shirt deal.

Dubai-based airline Emirates has made its first sponsorship investment in professional cycling by signing a four-year deal as co-title sponsor of the WorldTour cycling team formerly known as Lampre-Merida.

For 2016-17, we have researched 346 deals, including 70 deal values, across 44 major airlines to map out the sponsorship landscape in the airline sector.

Battery manufacturer Duracell is expanding its return to sports marketing with a three-year partnership with the Great Run Series which will build brand awareness for a mass audience, Alex Haslam, Duracell UK marketing manager, told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

International sports properties provide a key platform to create positive brand associations for the Turkey’s national flag carrier Turkish Airlines.

Abu Dhabi-based state carrier Etihad's sponsorship strategy is to create custom sponsorships, which allow the brand to meet specific goals especially around customer sales and retention.

European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), the body that runs European club rugby’s leading competitions, is seeking a new marketing agency to develop a sponsorship platform that has, so far, yielded just two Official Partners and three Official Suppliers.

 Japanese carrier Japan Airlines has paid a seven-figure euros rights fee to become the Global Partner and Official Airline of the international basketball federation in a 17-month deal, from August 2015 to the end of 2016.

The domestic sales programme for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games is once again gaining traction after signing four second-tier deals in the past three months.

The FA Cup title sponsorship deal which England’s Football Association signed with Emirates this month keeps the association on course to hit its commercial revenue target.

US-based airline United’s title sponsorship deal for the New York Half Marathon is part of a strategy centred on transport hubs, Mark Krolick, managing director of marketing and product development for United, told Sports Sponsorship Insider.