Fursan Al Emarat set for Athens Flying Week return with new Hongdu L-15 display
Fursan Al Emarat are set to return to Athens Flying Week in 2026, and this one is far more than a repeat appearance.
The UAE Air Force’s national aerobatic team has been confirmed for Athens Flying Week 2026 at Tanagra Air Base, where the organisers say the team will appear with its new aircraft, the twin-engine Hongdu L-15, and a brand-new show.
That makes this one of the more interesting international confirmations for Tanagra this year. Fursan Al Emarat last appeared at Athens Flying Week in 2023, when the team brought its familiar Aermacchi MB-339NATs to Greece. That appearance was already a major one for the event, as it was at the time the team’s first visit to Greece and only its second appearance in Europe.
The 2026 return should be very different.
Fursan Al Emarat’s new Hongdu L-15 marks a big change from their MB-339 years.
Since that last Athens appearance, Fursan Al Emarat has moved away from the MB-339, the aircraft type it had used since the team’s early years. The team revealed its new Hongdu L-15 display aircraft at Dubai Airshow 2025, marking the public debut of the new jets in the black and gold colours of the UAE team.
That is the key point here. Athens will not be the world debut of Fursan Al Emarat on the L-15, as that took place in Dubai. But if no earlier European appearance is confirmed before then, Athens Flying Week 2026 could become one of the first major European chances to see the team’s new aircraft and routine. It should also be the team’s Greek debut with the L-15.
The L-15 itself is a rare aircraft for European airshow crowds. Developed in China by Hongdu, the type is an advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft, known as the JL-10 in Chinese service. For display flying, it gives Fursan Al Emarat a very different platform from the MB-339: newer, twin-engine, sharper-looking, and far less familiar on the European circuit.
For many airshow fans, that aircraft change is the story. The MB-339 gave Fursan Al Emarat a classic display-team look, helped by the smoke-heavy formation work and the team’s striking black and gold scheme. The L-15 keeps the visual identity, but changes the character of the display. It is a modern trainer rarely seen in Europe, and seeing it in a full national aerobatic team routine at Tanagra would be a major draw.
The Hongdu L-15 gives Fursan Al Emarat a sharper, newer look while keeping the team’s famous black and gold scheme.
Fursan Al Emarat, also known as Al Fursan, is the national aerobatic team of the United Arab Emirates. The team was established in 2008 and made its public debut at Dubai Airshow in 2011. Its seven-aircraft formation represents the seven emirates of the UAE, while the black and gold colours have made the team one of the most recognisable display teams from the Gulf region.
For Athens Flying Week, this is a strong international addition and a proper headline act. The team has already been to Tanagra once, but the 2026 appearance should feel like something new: a return to Greece, a new aircraft, a new routine, and potentially one of Europe’s first serious looks at Fursan Al Emarat’s L-15 era.
Athens Flying Week 2026 takes place at Tanagra Air Base on 5–6 September 2026.
For tickets and event information, visit the official Athens Flying Week website click here and for our full Athens Flying Week 2026 preview page, including the latest confirmed aircraft and updates, click here.
