Recently snapped by Clement Alloing is the start of the new livery for Avianca, who recently partnered up with TACA. Avianca’s new livery looks a little flat, and whilst not complete (there will be the logotype on the side of the fuselage) the magic of one of the best liveries out there seems to have been lost. Featured as number 7 in our Top 10 liveries last year, Avianca used to have a stunning and vibrant livery. It seems this new livery is designed with keeping costs down. More eurowhite, less gradients, and simplistic design means for a cheap and effective design. But is it the right move?

As we previously stated on the previous incarnation of the livery “A bright, vibrant and rich colour scheme adorns this relatively modern fleet in South America. Picking colours that have significance to the South America continent help give it a strong identity around the world. Still a relatively unknown airline in Europe and Northern America, however a big player in its Southern cousin. The subtlety of the tail fin’s colour and pattern is fantastic and the gradient use is refreshing from all the simple block colour graphics on most airline fins. The logotype is also simplistic, but it makes it timeless and this will help this livery continue into the future without much need for updating.”

As an aside, it seems they have also copied American Airlines new logo (take a look at the engine Nacelle) on the first photo, you’ll see there is great similarity between the two bird like logos.

Here at Thedesignair, we feel this is a big step backwards, and sadly one step closer to a simpler blander sky. What do you think of the new look? Let us know!

Here at TheDesignAir, our team of expert judges have looked at the liveries around the world this year and have come up with our Top 10 liveries for 2013. Whilst we have some great looking airlines from last year’s Top 10 still appearing in the list this year, there are some great new liveries that are worthy of a mention and some that have changed that knock them out of the Top 10. Included in the ones departing from last years list include American, Avianca and Pluna, who sadly closed its doors last year.

The 2012 Top 10 Liveries
10. Air Tahiti Nui
09. Porter
08. Kulula
07. Avianca
06. Korean Airlines
05. Swiss
04. Asiana
03. Hawaiian
02. Pluna
01. American Airlines

The 2013 Top 10 Liveries

10. Air Tahiti Nui

We still love Air Tahiti Nui‘s truly pacific livery. It’s a naturally warm and modern livery that encapsulates the natural wonders of the Pacific islands. It has clean bold lines and shapes that elegantly follow the shape of the plane whilst also incorporating more fluid and subtle elements such as the ripple on the tail or the flower motif in the tail. The striking white and blue design is fresh and always turns heads when it arrives in LAX or CDG.

09. Porter

With the latest news that we should be seeing this livery on an all new jet fleet, this lesser-spotted design should be expanding its reach in the next few years. From Winkreative, the brainchild of Tyler Brulé, famous father of publications such as Wallpaper andMonocle, Porter’s strikingly simple yet powerful livery that goes beyond it’s metal canvas. It’s much more than a livery, playing to the design agencies strength of creating powerful brands that run across all printed and web material as well as hard products. It’s logo is simple yet it’s repetition on the tail fin echoes the nature of the airline, for the repeat business travellers that use the airline time and time again. Very modern and effortless, something as clean as this shouldn’t be forgotten as a brilliant design.

08. Island Air new

We love that this airline has transformed its image. The airline is set to take on the major airline of the Hawaiian state, and it’s new turbo prop fleet, so a refreshed look and feel was needed to remain competitive and appealing to passengers. Shaking off it’s old image, from a pretty uninspiring livery to a new professional, and vibrant livery, Island Air is a grace to see in the skies. Whilst to many the bright vibrant colours may appear garish, the actual combination of colours makes this livery feel totally at home in it’s tropical base. In fact, this airline showcases what fundamentally we all here at thedesignair like about some of the new liveries coming out, the fact they aren’t shy of using designs to fill the airframe, we sadly see all too much of the Euro-white schemes around the world, slowly creating a blander travel experience.

07. Thai new

Thai Airways did us proud with the launch of the A380, in our view, it is one of the most perfectly balanced A380 paint schemes out there, the livery is elegant, striking, regal and proud. All the elements are effortlessly balanced, we love both the orchid design and colour palette that Thai use. It is culturally sensitive, cleverly executed and well used throughout the brand experience of the airline, from website to cutlery. Whilst the airline sadly didn’t make the top 10 last year, this year we have to include the airline for careful consideration of their livery on their new fleets. Also we should mention their Thai Smile brand, which feels like a smart playful offshoot, and whilst the airline is still finding it’s feet, the brand synergy between the sister-carriers is perfectly harmonious and conveys the emotional experience you would expect to feel whilst flying with them.

06. Fastjet new

It seems that Stelios has learned, affordable doesn’t have to mean ugly. Founder of easyJet, Stelios’ new African adventure is smart, modern and in keeping with the low-cost tone, without the obvious brand assault that most low cost carriers adopt. The playful use of the Grey parrot, a mascot for the airline, is similar in brand strategy, to that of the racoon of Porter Airlines. The use of a contemporary and complimentary colour palette, geometric patterns and clean typeface make for an easy to identify and modern image, whilst obviously showing a nod to the African heritage it is flying within. The mascot is also a smart way of advertising an airline to a market without the visual image of a plane, for a region with a more sketchy history of aviation. Our favourite element, by far, is the parrot motif, which makes for a really beautiful tail fin.

05. Starflyer new

Starflyer is one of the slickest and sharp liveries out there. It’s a paint-job that makes the airline look more private jet than low cost carrier. The monochromatic look is elegant, and for a Japanese Airline (think Peach) is very refined. This killer-livery might resemble a killer whale, but the effect in our eyes is brilliant. The clever elements here are within the subtlety of the branding, especially for a low cost carrier. A clean modern typeface is under-played on the fuselage, and the SF logo on both nacelles and tailfin, are clean, elegant and refined. Whilst some carriers have historically shied away from black paintwork due to the heat effect it has on the fuselage, heating up the cabin, this airline has happily made the choice to make an impact instead. We applaud this look!

04. Asiana

Still a truly wonderful design, (and seems imitation is the highest form of flattery, as Avianca recently showed off their new colours, with what appears to be a hint of the Asiana scheme there). The height of modernity, and it’s use of grey-taupe and brighter red yellow and blues shows a unique look and feel and also gives a real sense of the airline being a luxury business player. The tail fin design resembles the petals of a flower and the overlay of colours gives the design a more delicate touch. The one thing that really shows up on this concept is the simple red arrow on the fuselage and this really counters what would otherwise feel an unbalanced and over simplified design.

03. O’hana by Hawaiian new

We fell in love with this livery when we first saw it this year. The airline has invested into its cultural heritage to create a truly inspirational and complete design. It was an artwork crafted with heart and spirit by Hawaiian Sig Zane, rather than by a branding agency, and the backstory to the livery is awe-inspiring for any designer to watch. The brand is synonymous with Hawaiian Airlines, yet has it’s own unique story and message to impart. We can’t wait to see these planes take to the air soon.

02. Hawaiian Airlines

Still one of the most elegant and beautiful airlines around. The addition of Pualani (roughly translated, Heavenly Flower) on the tail has really given it a historic and culturally connected image. However the use of the leaf motif and the bright purple and pink colours make it feel exotic and modern. I’m glad they’ve used a custom typeface that mimics something a little more ‘Pacific’ compared to it’s North American counterparts and it’s clean white frame on which the designs are placed really lifts the whole look of the aircraft. There really isn’t anything like seeing the fleet from your plane’s window in Honolulu to make you feel like you’ve arrived somewhere really special.

01. Fiji Airways new

To crown the amazing six airlines of the pacific rim that have made it into our Top 10 liveries this year, is the stunning Fiji Airways livery. What we applaud the most here is the dramatic change from their current image, and a purposeful return to its roots. Following a similar story to that of O’hana by Hawaiian, this wonderful ‘heritage-bound’ national design using pacific tribal patterns and emblems show a proud cultural image that will stand out at it’s international destination airports of Sydney, Auckland, Hong Kong and Los Angeles. It appears as something still exotic, and whilst on a ‘Eurowhite fuselage’ it could have had the fate of many new liveries, and appear bland and simplistic, but it’s actually got a strong logotype, bold tailfin and interesting nacelles, that draw the eye all over the well balanced airframe. Airlines like Fiji Airways shows that we still are producing wonderful, inspiring liveries even today.

Now that Batik Air, Lion Air’s latest ‘Premium’ venture, has been flying for a few weeks, we thought it best to take some time to take a look at this new carrier and what you can expect. Firstly, Let’s talk interiors. The whole premise of the airline is to fly passengers around the Asia region with a full service offering and even a business class cabin with reclining regional ‘first class’ style seats. First impressions of the 737-900 cabin are great, neutral colours with a few bright splashes in the form of curtains help provide a smart and contemporary look. The neutral grey patterned carpets are a great choice, hiding a multitude of sins as they get worn in. The leather seating looks great in these images, but time will tell if they start to stretch and buckle with their use. The patterns on the bulkheads and dividers are great too.

This is a big jump from a low-cost’s roots and what you expect to see from a full service carrier. Where bright bold and strong colours are used to stimulate their passengers, therefore keeping them more awake, and in need of beverages, food and entertainment. This helps generate sales. Whereas premium carriers naturally use softer more relaxing colours to try and calm and relax passengers, where they don’t require so much attention, therefore drinking and eating less, thus increasing profits.

The airline will offer touchscreen IFE in every seat, economy class will feature 32″ seat pitch and the business class seats will offer 45″. The sky interior option for Boeing as well will help the cabin seem more spacious and modern. Being a full service carrier all food and drink is included in the price.

The Outside

Here comes our conundrum. On first look for us Europeans, the livery design looks more like a magic eye picture where we expect to see Dolphins if we stare at it long enough. Also the logo seems to sit at odds with a more luxurious brand. But when we researched it further we realised that this was us just being culturally inept. The Batik design, synonymous with the indonesian region, is historically a sign of luxury and nobility. The designs, still produced today, are created using wax and dip dying, the Tjanting tool (the flute looking element in the logo) is the tool used to carefully create these patterns. In many ways this is just like the designs we admire so much from Fiji Airways or O’hana.

This is a livery that has grown on us, and actually has got some cultural roots, something we are greatly fond of here. The colours even, although not our favourite colour palette represent both the hindu gods and historically, nobility. Something that echoes the brand ethos of the airline, trying to be a more superior product than their low cost sister Lion Air.

There are a couple of things we are still not sure of though. The diagonal lines that form part of the tail fin, just are slightly too much at odds with the leading edge of the vertical stabiliser and the rear doors (which have to have a contrasting stripe around them due to aviation law) now seem to be a slightly bizarre inadvertent part of the design. The major thing we don’t like however is the typeface used. It sadly cheapens the look, and whilst the Tjanting element is a wonderful touch, it feels underdeveloped and heavy handed in application, especially with the ‘B’ element on the engine nacelles, something not used anywhere else. It will be interesting to see how the design will translate to the A320′s on order and the 787, whom will have differing angles on their tail fins, meaning either cutting into these strong diagonal lines or redesigning (we expect a differing design due to the fact the Batik print can come in thousand of differing designs)

As an aside, whilst we like the look of the website, when we tried to navigate it, many of the so-called buttons don’t actually work, raising a few eyebrows in the office to the validity of the site.

A few months ago, we posted the artists impression for Air Canada’s new diffusion brand ‘rouge’ set for their leisure routes. The first plane has been painted and has just shown itself to the world in these glossy press pics. Whilst a shiny plane always looks great, we still can’t help but feel this brand has a couple of down falls.

Firstly, the typeface of ‘rouge’… we are pretty sure we have seen before on free font websites. Secondly, the tailfin, is so close in design to Air Berlin’s that it could easily be mistaken, and considering the product offering is set to be similar, seems to have lost some of its own personality.

The new uniforms for the airline will be announced soon, and photos will appear on thedesignair.net as soon as they are released.

Avianca, one of South America’s largest airlines with roughly 70 aircraft and over 90 on order have finally announced their new brand, encompassing both TACA and Avianca’s two separate brands into one unified airline. Gone is the iconic red-topped aircraft of old, and instead a modern new minimalist approach has been taken to the livery. As announced recently, our feelings behind the new look are a little mixed. We had hoped that some of the elements of the traditional ‘FutureBrand’ carrier image would have stayed.

However, what can’t be denied is that this is a full and comprehensive redesign. It sits well as the calling card for a ‘Modern’ South America to the rest of the world, and the design is clean and well considered. The tail-fin (now with a subtle gradient in the colouring) is actually fairly elegant device, although not as powerful as the previous brand image. If this design was launched for an airline that was brand new, it would be received differently by public opinion, but sadly, as general consensus had such an appreciation for the old livery, this one has to work hard to beat it. Whilst we like it, for more stubborn fans tt may be a livery that grows.

The branding sits well inside the new cabins too, Deep charcoal greys, against a white palette with bright flushes of red is contemporary, robust and won’t age quickly. The cabins, both economy and business now have the appearance of being a truly international carrier (although the angle lie-flat seats are still seen as an inferior business class product internationally). Also announced at the grand unveiling, were the well executed uniforms (bar a few exceptions) The ruana roja (cape) and hat remain from the previous incarnation, but have been modernised to fit with the new look.

Lippincott (the same brand identity agency that created the new United and Delta brands) designed the new look for the airline. “In Lippincott we found a true trusted advisor who partnered with us on this complex journey,” said Fabio Villegas, CEO, Avianca.  “Beyond developing an inspired new identity, they helped us identify new customer targets, harmonize the overall passenger experience and counsel us on when it was the right time to launch.”

Added Lippincott Sr. Partner, Steve Lawrence, “Often, when two brands merge into one, the customer experience isn’t aligned until down the road but we all felt it was important to harmonize the customer experience first and then apply a new brand identity versus the other way around.”

“It was important to create a new visual identity that was reflective of the heritage and legacy of both Avianca and TACA but also ushered the brand into its new era of Latin Excellence,” said to Rodney Abbot, Sr. Partner at Lippincott. “We wanted the new identity to build on the symbolic power of the Condor, a symbol long associated with Avianca in a form that figuratively links South, Central and North America.” It can’t be ignored that the Condor logo still has an unfortunate similarity to that of American Airline’s new look. Whilst perhaps a little more elegant in execution, the two brands American and Avianca accidentally give the appearance of being sister companies.

Speaking exclusively to TheDesignAir, the design team at Lippincott told us more about the similarities “If there is a similarity between the two airlines, it is not intentional, however both airlines do share basic identity elements, such as starting with the letter “A” and having bird symbolism – (condor for Avianca and eagle for American). Avianca’s new design was actually completed in September 2012, six months before the new American Airlines livery launched so the similarities are purely coincidental. In fact, Avianca waited to launch the new brand until this week to make sure all elements of the merger were complete and the new airline was fully aligned, harmonizing the customer experience first and then applying the new brand identity.”

They then delved further into the brand concept. “We redesigned the livery to signal that Avianca was changing in a big, dramatic, bold manner – from the Colombian national flag carrier to a larger, international carrier, now representing all of Latin America to the world. As for the change in the color red, we wanted the Avianca name to make a bolder statement. With red predominantly on the plane, the actual name had to be smaller. Using more white, we are able to maximize the size of the Avianca name, bringing more pride to the brand.”

Whilst American is currently struggling to reinforce a sense of permanence regarding its new look since its recent merger with US Airways, (who have worked in reverse from the logical way of working) Avianca have actually worked to combine two brands and unify the messages of both airlines over a 3 year process and this new Avianca look certainly does have the brand reasoning to stay for years to come.

Alaska Airlines this week revealed it’s latest unique livery for it’s fleet, designed by 17 year old Aaron Nee. The design was part of a competition run by the airline to create a livery that ‘honored the culture of the Aloha State’. Nee’s design was selected from among more than 2,700 submissions by students across the Hawaiian Islands in a statewide “Paint-the-Plane” contest sponsored by Alaska Airlines, in partnership with the Hawaii State Department of Education and Hawaii Association of Independent Schools. A 10-member judging panel, comprised of Hawaii artists, educators and other local community members, carefully scored and selected the three top designs, which were then voted on by Hawaii residents in an online public vote.

We can’t help but smile over this news, especially when you can see the sheer delight in the boys eyes at seeing his creation, which was revealed at Honolulu Airport at the start of June. “This has been an incredible opportunity to share Hawaii’s beauty with people throughout the country,” said Nee. “This contest helped me to sharpen my graphic design skills and demonstrated that with hard work, attention to detail and determination, great things are possible.”

As the grand prize winner, Nee received a trip for four to any of the carrier’s destinations and a $5,000 scholarship. Known for his artistic ability and interest in graphic design and athletics, Nee said he plans to invest his $5,000 for college and take his family to visit relatives in New York, where he hopes to see snow for the first time. The aircraft will fly throughout most of Alaska Airlines’ network, connecting destinations from Hawaii to San Diego and from Anchorage as far south as Mexico.

Some “Spirit of the Islands” fun-facts
• The 129-foot-long Boeing 737-800 has a wingspan of 117 feet and a cruising speed of 530 mph.
• A crew of 18 worked around the clock for 24 days at Aviation Technical Services in Everett, Wash., to paint the plane, which required 26 colors and about 140 gallons of paint, including 20 gallons of primer. In addition, 28,800 yards of masking tape were used.

You can see the rest of the entrants on the dedicated website for the competition.

The livery
Air New Zealand is the latest airline to revisit and refresh their livery, in a recent flood of new livery designs. Their new livery (as announced earlier today by our antipodean friends at Australian Business Traveller) follows their original idea to change to an all-black tail and typeface treatment, something that they originally announced last year, however the original concept was a lot plainer than what has been produced here today. The new aircraft livery will feature the iconic official New Zealand Fern Mark, the use of which is managed by Tourism New Zealand and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

Now eager spotters may think this is the same livery as the ‘All-Blacks’ livery that already graces some of the fleet, but you’ll actually be wrong. The fern, which now is the ‘New Zealand Way’ national fern rather than the all-blacks ‘Silver’ fern (above), is a sign of national pride, and symbolises New Zealand internationally. Created by designworks, the fern, now a part of the national carrier, was just one part of the job of bringing together all the ingredients needed to accelerate New Zealand’s brand on the world stage. “[we were] involved in a process of clarifying and articulating the strategic idea of New Zealand’s past, present and future purpose – engaging the country in a programme of initiatives aimed at moving the whole population onto the same song sheet and collaborating with artists, designers and the wider community on a national attitude and vocabulary that is unique.”

The simplistic black and white livery (which is reversed on a few key aircraft in aid to still support the All-Blacks national team, as per their incumbent design) is actually a beautiful and simplistic design, which bold mono-chromatic concept is stronger than the aqua colours previously used – and now sits perfectly with the muted interior design palette of the airlines new cabin products. It’s also a nationalistic design, black being the national colour of New Zealand. The mid frame divide between the black and white seems perfectly balanced on this 787-9 model, and hopefully the same diligence and care will be used across the rest of the fleet to keep the balance based on aesthetics rather than a simple formulae. The Air New Zealand ‘Koru’ logo is still prominent but is outweighed by the new fern logo, giving the impression that both logos work in harmony, and neither is more important than the other. A clever branding exercise, giving both the national identity of the airline and the brand of the airline equal strength. Speaking to many Kiwis, the airline is a national symbol and is seen with great pride. The new design will be rolled out over the next year.

A Shift to National Pride.
This new design seems to have followed a wave in the Pacific Rim of new liveries, each one showcasing their national roots. O’hana, Fiji Airways, Island Air and American (along with already national Hawaiian Air whose expanding presence could be claimed as a new brand shift in the Pacific) all announced their new liveries in the last 12 months, each with a distinct shift into their cultural past to produce original and emotional designs that impart the character of their country. The connection between brand and passenger seems to be heightened in the Pacific area, where so many smaller principalities are vying on routes for new passengers. Could this be a rebound from the generalisation of air travel over the past few years, where product and brand have slowly become indistinguishable from each other through cost cutting, and the start of a new era of National pride of their carriers?

It seems that passengers are becoming more savvy to choice, and with sites such as Expedia, airlines that we hadn’t even considered before are now cropping up in search engines. These less obvious choices need to showcase that they can offer something other airlines cannot, and brand is key in imparting this information. Heritage and cultural sensitivity seem to be the keywords in successful conversions, more passengers feeling a desire to support local business. We love this new direction these airlines are taking, and currently all eyes are turning to the Pacific, where it seems originality, flair and design are still alive and thriving.

Air New Zealand have always been proud of their roots, already working with campaigns such as Lord of the Rings. This shift to an even more cultural look isn’t suprising, but it’s treatment is excellent and beautifully crafted. Now, even more, is the time to fly with Air New Zealand.

Our friends, Fiji Airways, have announced the latest stage of their rebranding excercise, bringing back the original glamour and authentic of their previous incarnation of the airline. The carrier on Thursday 27th June, relaunched itself worldwide as Fiji Airways, retiring its ‘Air Pacific’ brand. The defining moment, was the reveal of the new uniforms, created by designer Alexandra Poenaru-Philp, which were selected from a pool of Fiji-based designers after an extensive selection process.

As stated in their press release, “The striking new uniforms, stylised to the Fijian attire of Sulu Jaba and Bula wear, reflect vibrant aqua colours, to present a balance with the new Fiji Airways’ cabin interiors featuring sophisticated, earthy tones of Fiji. The aqua contrasts with the colour brown which now forms a key part of the airline’s brandmark and identity.” Here at Thedesignair, we have to agree, whilst the uniforms don’t have the polished tailoring style that many airlines try to emulate, the uniforms, are friendly, relaxed, modern yet authentic, and add a new dimension to the cabins. The relaxed look is very fitting for what is largely leisure traffic.

“The new airline branding is seeking modernity while keeping the traditions of Fiji alive … So we determined that re-visiting the sulu jaba (traditional Fijian attire) for women and the Bula shirts for men, in a very modern way, would be the best way to respect this tradition and modernity.” says Poenaru-Philp, who is also designing uniforms for Laucala Island, our number one destination for 2013.

“The key requirements for our new uniforms were that they had to stay deeply rooted in the Fiji Airways’ brand and remain true to Makereta Matemosi’s stunning masi artwork,” said Aubrey Swift, Fiji Airways’ Acting CEO.

The uniforms prominently feature three distinct masi motifs created by celebrated Fijian masi artist Makereta Matemosi. The Qalitoka symbolises the unity of people to complete a task, Tama symbolising friendly service, and Droe, which means clear blue skies and cool breeze on beaches.

We are going to be reviewing the airline’s product very soon, and will report back on the whole experience. In the meantime, let us know what you think of the uniforms!

Tiger Airways, now Tiger Air, has just gone through a rebranding exercise, gone the tiger, and instead a large bold logo adorns the fuselage of the aircraft. We have to say we are a little saddened by this. The tiger, whilst a little bit ‘clipart’, was a great logo, and this new logo is purely a typeface that’s been tweaked slightly. There also seems to be no logical reason for the removal of the brand image. Apart from it’s previous issues last year, the airline, was a treat to see at the airports.

The logo translates to the website as well, a new font, slightly rounded and chunky follows the same ethos of the original easyJet brand image. Soft edges, lowercase type, gives the image of friendly, easy going and simplistic brand, the soft greys and orange are an age-old colour palette that still provide a little more sophistication and modernity. The thing that is at odds with the new aircraft image, is the tailfin. The graphic hasn’t changed, and now doesn’t seem to fit with the new look they are trying to convey.

The story deepens though, as stated in their press release… “Explaining the reason behind the brand refresh, Mr Koay Peng Yen, Group CEO said, “We have initiated a series of changes since late last year, and this brand identity should be seen as a reinforcement of our commitment towards a better and bolder Tigerair.” It seems there is no logical reason for the new look, showcased by a press release announcing a new design without actually giving any reason behind it. It’s this ‘design by consensus’ or ‘change for the sake of change’ that makes for a weak brand image, and shows little self confidence in the brand they have created.

We hope that other airlines take note that sometimes a redesign just for the sake of a redesign isn’t always a good thing. What do you think of the new look?

Time for a game of spot the difference! An authority in livery design (and a good friend of ours here at thedesignair.net), Remy Chevarin, has created a very elegant alternative solution to the new livery for Air New Zealand which we showcased (and liked) when it was released back in June. Perhaps it will take you a minute to spot the differences between the two images above, but when you do, we believe you will be more drawn to the one on the right (The alternative design).

The more pleasing, albeit subtle, change actually helps make the whole design breathe a little more and feel more considered. The two logos (read our original post to work out how the livery was pieced together) which are trying to work together, now sit comfortably in harmony, with a correct visual hierarchy, Air New Zealand, being the more dominant of the two. This was evident in Mr. Chevarin’s reasoning, “For me the most important piece is the symbol – The Silver Fern – the icon that touches Kiwis body and soul, the fact that it belongs to TNZ is secondary in the message.” The problem that now becomes apparent in hindsight, is the fact the livery had to be adapted to fit the logo in it’s original context onto the plane, requiring a solid monochromatic background for the logo to work. Whilst the Tourism New Zealand silver fern logo has had to be compromised, the essence of the 20 year old logo actually still exists, and in many ways, works better.

Most likely by a happy coincidence, the new livery design, actually has created some beautiful shapes when viewed from below or above, creating a wonderfully organic looking pattern on the empennage of the plane (you’ll see this better in this video link). One thing we are less sure of are the silver nacelles, whilst it sports the 100% New Zealand tag, which is a nice touch, the nacelles when purely silver will quickly become dirty, especially around the reverser section, and will have the effect of making the engines look older than they actually are. Especially on the 787, when these nacelles are so big, this only draws the attention to them further. In our opinion, black nacelles would perhaps have been better options, balancing out the weight of the tail section and harmonising the entire outfit.

Still, Mr. Chevarin has managed to show how even the most simple and elegant changes can make the difference between a good design and an effortless one. Sadly, even though these designs have been put on the desks of Air New Zealand decision makers, don’t expect to see this beautiful livery on the roll out, as they are sticking with their original designs. What do you think, which do you like better?

Our friends Australian Business Traveller announced on their site today that Qantas is bringing another of it’s iconic Aboriginal ‘DreamTime’ Jets online. The airline says its new Boeing 737-800 will feature the work of a well-known (but as yet un-named) West Australian indigenous artist, and will be painted in its Dreamtime colours at Boeing’s factory in Seattle before being flown to Australia to enter service on domestic routes. This will be the fourth member of Qantas’ Boeing fleet to carry Aboriginal art, a tradition which began almost 20 years ago with the breathtaking Boeing 747-400 ‘Wunala Dreaming’.

Qantas isn’t the only airline to exhibit special one off designs for their jets. We take a look at some of the special one off designs in our gallery below. The list isn’t exhaustive, let us know which ones we’ve missed that are special in your eyes and we will add it to the gallery!

Leisure travel operator, Thomas Cook, have launched their latest logo which will be rolled out throughout the group to unify its brands and market activity under one common symbol, the ‘Sunny Heart’. The ‘Sunny Heart’ is being rolled out from today, and will replace the current ‘Globe’ in the Group’s websites, international stores, the airline fleet (inclusive of German airline Condor) and throughout its headquarters and overseas offices. The essence of the new brand apparently captures who Thomas Cook is, and what it promises (according to their press release) – “a high tech, high touch experience across all customer touch points with an omni-channel approach.”

Harriet Green, Group CEO of Thomas Cook Group plc states “This isn’t just a rollout of a new logo, it’s about a promise. What we’re announcing today is a renewed promise to our customers, our people and suppliers. A promise that we’re putting them at the heart of our transformation it’s the essence of who we are.”

Our verdict?
Whilst we don’t mind the heart element itself, we can’t help but feel this livery resembles the long lost love child of Icelandair and Vueling, were they ever to spawn an offspring airline. We do like the grey and yellow colours, and think we will see a lot more yellow in the air in the future (Being the new version of the predominately ’blue’ jets of the last 30 years) especially after Royal Brunei launched their new livery this year.

Sadly the logo designs are very similar to that we would come to expect from an ‘affordable livery’ concept. Paint the tail, pure white body and simple logo at the front. Considering these jets form part of a package holiday environment normally, they have the ability to be a bit more free with their concept, and these designs, whilst smart, and very conservative are almost contrary to the ‘fun in the sun’ heart logo that the group has adopted.

It’s not all negative. We do love the nacelle concept though, the blast of colour here especially when seen by passengers against a blue sky from inside the cabin, will no doubt be a striking sight.

Interestingly, we’ve added a pdf here of the history of the Thomas Cook logo, you’ll see how it progresses through the years. Whilst the older logo, against the blue backgrounds, was more in keeping with the original logo from 1880, this new logo, sits apart from its historical counterparts, and has in effect become more of a ‘widget’ that can be attached to so many of the groups secondary companies.

So what do you think? Do you “heart” this new look? Let us know!

Iberia, as we announced a few months back, has been toying with the idea of a new logo for a while, accidentally letting it slip on the nacelle of one of their airbus fleet, which generated a buzz on the net of the future look and feel. The new logo, which will feature first on an A330, along with new livery, has (no surprises here) been pieced together from a survey of 9,000 people. It’s definitely a case of design by committee, trying to please all and eventually (seemingly) pleasing none.

The logotype, which appears bulbous to the eye, perhaps in a nod to the fact the curve of the plane makes text appear to ‘bulge’ toward the viewer, is safe, rounded capitals. Most likely in design 101 speak to showcase ‘authority, solidity, longevity’ due to the capital lettering and ‘a sense of warmth and care’ with the slight rounded edge.

Funnily enough check how this video above uses the ‘old logo’ to brand the video talking about the new logo, this lack of attention to detail, doesn’t go unnoticed. In what seems to be a fairly boring and familiar approach, the text and icon graphic, which is somewhat a mix of the American Airlines bird and the Avianca tail, along with the traditional open space fuselage approach of airlines such as sister company BA and their future step-brother American. Ok, so we understand the connection to the spanish flag, the ‘sweeping element’ associated to wind, flight and travel, but we were hoping for more. We stated that our heart sank when we saw the iconic previous design was fading away, and actually, looking at this design now it is fully launched, we actually can’t make an emotional connection to the livery design. It’s simple, safe, and sad to say, fairly boring. Somehow, lovingly and very quickly being dubbed the ‘fast-food wrapping’ airline of the skies on online forums.

The new livery, which has been dressed up with the usual press release fluff “Iberia’s new image both symbolises and contributes its own momentum to the transformation plan, which aims at reshaping the company into a strong, modern, competitive and trend-setting airline. The launch of the new logo and livery is timed to coincide with the first fruits of these efforts,” …. sorry what?! That doesn’t actually mean anything and isn’t actually backed up with any true core design ethos. Even Iberia’s CEO Luis Gallego noted that “it’s not just a matter of changing the company logo, but of bringing the new image to every corner of Iberia, so the change will be perceived in all our products and the service we provide to our customers.” Again, stating very little reason for the change apart from to lift the image of the airline. A problem that according to trip reports, stems from deep within the customer service ethos of the airline itself. Perhaps this livery change may only be skin deep. Sadly, Iberia, this isn’t a winner for us.

A full historical chart of Iberia’s Logos over the years.

The livery will be rolled out from November this year, along with areas within the company where the logo is used, there is a gradual replacement program to fully stamp out the older logo. In our bid to keep the old livery flying (at least in our memories), here’s a picture to keep you smiling just a little bit longer.

This week marked the arrival of Air Serbia’s first A319 to Belgrade Airport. 49% owned by Etihad, the original national airline JAT was re-branded to become the new ‘Air Serbia’, introducing a brand new livery, planes uniforms and total visual identity. As we reported on EX-YU Aviation back in January, the airline (and it’s competitors) have had a checkered history of liveries, and it was time for the someone to give the carrier a new and modern lease of life.

Interestingly, the new brand will take the Serbian name and its red, white and blue colour scheme from Belgrade to the world. A key figure in the rebranding of the national airline was 25-year-old graphic design student Tamara Maksimovic from the Serbian city of Novi Sad. At the end of her course, Tamara was required to develop a portfolio of branding designs for an organisation of her choice. ”I wanted a big project, something with a lot of detail and a lot of applications,” she explained. ”It came to my mind to choose an airline. I chose Jat Airways.” The airline discovered Tamara’s portfolio on a graphic design website, and engaged her to design the new branding for Air Serbia.

As you can see by the designs and livery, there is a historical connection to the nation of Serbia, taking a connection to old coats of arms. “When I started working concept, Air Serbia told me that [they] would like to be something reminiscent of Serbia, in the story, we come to the visual image, among other things, of the double-headed eagle. The idea was that this was a modern coat of arms of Serbia.”

Balance

So our take? Let’s look at this systematically. The ‘Herald’ is a great bit of design, an iconic image that works well, and will have many visual uses in branding. The execution of the livery? There are a few elements we feel are a little unbalanced. Generally speaking, the livery is strong, and timeless, the colours are strong and unique. What we don’t like, is the ‘visual weighting’ on the livery. The tail fin appears heavy, and the curve on the nacelle design only helps to give the impression of a false horizon that works against the architecture of the plane. The typeface on the aircraft is also too far rearwards, only helping provide a sense of a misplaced centre of gravity. This is show better in the image below, where we have mimicked the horizon the visual elements create. You can see in the background the natural horizon Austrian airlines creates.

The simple solution here would be simply to move the typeface forward, and reduce the camber on the swash on the nacelle. Also to mention is the typeface itself, whilst it is meant to be modern and the slant gives the impression of movement, we can’t help but feel the ‘modern’ typeface is too obvious and sits at odds with the tail fin Herald. Also, the swash connecting the ‘i’ and ‘r’ gets lost in the livery, which is an example of how a logo doesn’t always get designed with the surface in mind. Still, this all said, the whole look is a leap forward, and bar the comment that ‘a white fuselage imparts luxury’ we applaud the design sensibilities that have come from a 25 year old designer, who was found off of the internet. When the official design gets launched later this week, it will be interesting to see how the design ethos passes on to the uniforms, website, and other branded goods. Let us know what you think?

Back in the glamourous heyday of travel, airlines (believe it or not) fought for the attention of the travelers. With the recent invention of air travel, costs were relatively low. You could fairly easily get hold of a plane, fill it full of passengers and fly it to wonderful exotic destinations. OK, so it wasn’t really that simple, but the premise was the same for many start-up airlines, meaning in the 50′s and 60′s there was a wealth of airlines, vying for the attention of a customer.

So it was natural for the airline to try and offer a point of difference, and with cabin offerings being fairly standard industry-wide this was usually implementing in their branding. But when we look back at these airlines, it’s difficult for us to see that difference. Almost all airlines (especially in the US) had simple typefaces adorning their liveries with a selection of coloured key-lines running along the fuselage, with a usually circular logo painted on the tail.

But that is because we have evolved our visual acuity with the advert of computers and developed design processes. Humans have become more adapt at understanding visual information and becoming emotionally attached to a company’s brand. Simple key-lines will no longer do (even though there has been a nostalgic nod at liveries of old – see above’s Martinair), we connect to graphics and logos like we used to Hieroglyphics, requiring more intricate detail to engage us.

How it used to be

The reason that the liveries, and advertising campaigns the airlines used to run were so basic, were do to the technological limitations that designers used to face. This was an era of Letraset and painting by eye, rather than using a detailed 3D computer model to work out a design from every angle. Even back then, airlines knew the cost of adding paint to an aircraft, with American Airlines famously opting for a polished metal airframe with simple painted stripes to reduce the weight of the frame, and inadvertently helping reflect the heat from the aircraft with it’s mirrored finish.

What this did do though, was create an epic fleet of airlines, all with a simple solution to painting aircraft. Much like lemmings, we feel most comfortable with a trend, following it with a sense of security. So it became second nature that aircraft had key-lines across their fuselage, logos became a wealth of initials, globes and wings. This became our version of ‘Eurowhite’. Design that was practical at this point. (And some purists will say that is the execution of good design)

The game changers

Enter Braniff in the 70′s, the best and perhaps most famous example of a movement in graphic design where people wanted to break away from the formula of design that had become mainstay. Anarchy ensued, trying to prove that design didn’t have to be so predictable and could take more inspiration from nature and other less usual avenues. Artist Calder’s liveries were some of the most radical seen in the sky.

These turns in graphic design constantly happen (and will continue to do so). Usually trends are broken by a ‘left-field’ approach to the current visual norm. Started by risk-takers that usually have a point to prove and that is ‘that they are doing things differently’ and these messages are usually timed to coincide with an advancement in technology to allow designers to use new tools not before available to them. (For designer geeks out there, I think we all remember the ability to drop shadow, or the launch of comic sans, or Flash and it’s ability to create animated websites.)

How it is now

Well, it seems we have turned full circle. Due to the financial state of the global economy, airlines have sadly gone bust, fuel prices have rocketed, and it’s created a need for practical and functional design. There is less competition, so there is less requirement for an airline to stand out (although this is still paramount). Fuel is expensive so planes must think economically with paint. Not only that white paint is lightest, but it also reflects heat, meaning less requirement to use air conditioning on the ground, which costs fuel.

I think it’s a misnomer that airlines are naturally wanting to paint their aircraft white. It’s just the fuel-saving exercise that airlines are currently going through that is the trend; the liveries are just a byproduct of this.

That is why especially for legacy carriers, where it is harder to trim costs due to staff pensions, infrastructure or cabin offerings, we are seeing more of a radical change in liveries. Only last 18 months on Thedesignair.net have we reported on the new livery of Finnair, Japan Airlines, Air New Zealand, Iberia, Avianca, American, and Royal Brunei all opting to remove as much colour from their fuselages as they can, to save on fuel burn and reduce maintenance costs, as obviously white paint doesn’t fade as quickly.

What’s the future?

As we’ve highlighted above. Design is cyclical in nature. What is now the norm, won’t remain the norm. Airlines like any competitive business will want to try to make themselves standout. As technology improves, so will the paint processes used in aviation, meaning paint will become more technologically advanced, lighter and more reflective to UV rays, and naturally build up higher resistances to fading too.

Even without an advancement in paint technology, as airline competition diminishes, variances in passenger loads become more pronounced, so the need to attract passengers becomes even more important.

Whilst LCC carriers (which by their very nature should be most cost conscious) actually understand the value of brand and invest into their liveries. When you look at the colourful liveries of the world, they can be found in LCCs such as the oldest LCC Southwest, but also Wizzair, FastJet, Kulula, Virgin America, O’hana by Hawaiian, Air Asia X, Tiger Airways and JetStar all who also make their livery pack a punch. It is with these current game changers we will see some of the biggest advancements in livery design.

Thanks to our antipodean friends at Australian Business Traveller, we have a few images to share from their news on the unveiling of Qantas’ latest Boeing-737 Aboriginal Painted Jet. The ‘Mendoowoorrji’ artwork is from the late Paddy Bedford, a famous West Australian Aboriginal artist, and specifically from his 2005 painting ‘Medicine Pocket’ and is different from it’s previous 747 and 737 Aboriginal Jets.

We personally love the details here, which are perhaps unnoticeable to most passengers, but even brush strokes have been painstakingly applied to the jet, giving the whole plane a feeling of texture and tactility that most other jets fail to achieve with their paint schemes.

Check out our gallery below, or read the full story here.

With the premiere of the latest in the Hobbit franchise being one of the most talked about tickets this month, it is no surprise that one airline has gone a little Hobbit crazy. Perhaps the World’s biggest fan of Tolkein’s works, Air New Zealand has celebrated the new film with another of their special Lord Of The Rings / Hobbit liveries. (See their latest video that came out two weeks ago)

The latest, featuring on one of their 777-300 fleet, is none other than the star of the next film. Smaug. A 54 metre long dragon is certainly an impressive thing to see in the sky, especially considering it landed in Los Angeles today in time for the premiere of the film in the US. Smaug will then ‘wing’ its way across to London on the 7th December for its premiere there.

Interestingly, the design here is the only time the dragon has been seen in its entirety, as the first film in The Hobbit Trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, teasingly featured just Smaug’s eye, leaving it to fans to imagine for themselves how the iconic Dragon might look in filmmaker Peter Jackson’s mind’s eye. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon says the airline has been in discussions for some time around permission to feature Smaug on the ‘flying billboard’ ahead of the film’s official release.“For our partners to allow Air New Zealand to reveal their star exclusively to the world ahead of the movie premiere and theatrical release in ten days is a huge privilege.” he continued “We worked with the digital effects company behind The Hobbit Trilogy, Weta Digital, and they designed the graphic for us especially for this purpose.”

What of the other special livery jet? In tandem the two of them will operate the Los Angeles – London Heathrow route, connecting to two major film capitals.

Some of you may notice the broken graphic areas around the wing root. The reason for this has been hinted at in their press release. “Visual Effects Supervisor Eric Saindon of Weta Digital says designing a graphic which not only fits with Peter Jackson’s creative vision but also meets the various specifications required to fit on an aircraft was no mean feat.” and on close inspection it’s easy to see the white lines are the meeting of aircraft panels, covered in rivets.

Seeing aircraft like this really make us relive our childhood memories of the books, and we salute Weta in New Zealand for producing yet another amazing project.

Book your ticket on www.airnewzealand.com and travel on Smaug today! 

Our good friends at Fiji Airways, winner of the best livery 2013 in our Top 10 Liveries have now extended their brand to the domestic and regional carrier Pacific Sun. Pacific Sun, since the new re-branding of Fiji’s International airline, has been at odds with the earthy colours and sophisticated cabins, although obviously the friendly and heartfelt service remains.

Launched recently, the new livery for Fiji Link is a wonderful addition to the Fiji Airways family. Very similar in design, yet still unique, the tail-fin art will sit proudly on the ATR’s that will come into service in mid 2014. As for the name, Fiji Link, this was decided through a competition run by the airline, to come up with names from the fans and travellers, and staff of the airline, to help find a name that worked and that Fiji could be proud of. When the competition closed, there were 4 main runners for the name, (Although these won’t be revealed) and the winner Fiji Link, was a clear winner with over 60% of the votes.

Shaenaz Voss, Pacific Sun’s General Manager said: “In our further unprompted public surveys, the word ‘Link’ was a clear preference as a key term for the new name. It was extremely important to us that our staff, particularly the Pacific Sun team, were part of the decision making process. ‘Fiji Link’ is an appropriate name for our airline and like its parent Fiji Airways, ‘Fiji Link’ will fly the Fijian flag wherever it flies. As an important part of our regional network, the airline will embody Fiji’s position as a hub and gateway to the South Pacific. We are reinventing ourselves with this rebrand and once completed, our customers and the people of the Fiji will experience a new level of service excellence from ‘Fiji Link’.”

Its basic and functional name shouldn’t detract from the fact this is now one solidly connected and unified brand. The new ATR72s should also provide extra comfort and a modern cabin for travellers, and with the uniforms that will no doubt be run out (still unconfirmed) across the fleet, expect to see plenty more of the wonderful Fijian prints bringing colour and design to an otherwise understated, clean and crisp cabin.

We love the design once again by Fiji Airways, and the fact it has subtle differences from the mainline Fiji Airways livery. Fiji Airways has used the Teteva and the Makare motifs on the tail again designed by renowned Fijian Masi artist Makereta Matemosi, which have huge cultural significance, and are proudly a prominent part of the Fiji Airways brand. We can’t help but feel it’s a similar ethos to the O’hana by Hawaiian regional airline. (Not that this is a bad thing) We are hoping to do a review of the Fiji Airways experience early next year, so subscribe if you haven’t already so you are the first to see our full report on this new Pacific gem.

The Gallery

Royal Brunei, when we reported on their new livery and look a while ago, didn’t inspire us too much, their artists impressions made the aircraft look flat and badly proportioned. Now we like to think they saw our comments and made a few tweaks, but realistically, we know that the aircraft reality and artists impressions can vary significantly. Either way, the design in reality is really quite sophisticated, and we stand corrected, we actually really like the livery design.

What has changed is the darker underbelly on the aircraft (you can see the difference in the artists impressions and the photographs above), providing a much stronger colour balance than yellow and white, now with the black/dark shades of grey. The darker element of the fuselage has helped balance the yellow and white top, adding depth and strength to the whole design. A simple fix, but a successful one.

We have taken a look inside the Royal Brunei Jet too, the new fully flat beds in business class and modern seating in economy, will help lift the airline into the 21st century, offering a competitive and relaxing experience for their long haul travellers. Whilst Royal Brunei was often the cheapest choice for the Kangaroo route between the UK and Australia, it used to less appealing compared to it’s competitors due to the 3 stops, compared to the usual two. Now, the airline is one of the best options. There’s no denying that the 787 offers a more comfortable cabin experience, with lower pressure and higher humidity levels. Plus the airline is now pushing the two stops as a welcome way of breaking the journey and making it more enjoyable, offering stop overs in both Dubai and Brunei.

The 787 will be the main fleet of the airline as the orders come in, offering the only aircraft type to fly long haul. Meaning that the experience the whole way through your journey will be the same, no lesser aircraft here on the last bit of your journey, disappointing you as you board. We take a look at the new products to give you the full low-down!

Business Class

One of only a few airlines to still launch forward facing seats in business (realistically still one of the most favourite configurations for couples travelling together). The new ‘Countour’ seats will offer a seat pitch of 79″ with electronically operated seat transition, translating leg rest and footrest, 4-way manually adjustable headrest and backrest with lumbar massager; the fully flat bed length will be 77” (6′ 5″) in length full flat including the personal Ottoman. Yes, you heard right, one of our favourite elements… massaging seats. The seats also offer an estimated 11% more bed surface. The seats will be in a 2 x 2 x 2 configuration, which can prove problematic when travelling at the window seat when trying to step over your partner, so if you are travelling solo, perhaps pick an aisle seat. But the good news is each of the seats offer privacy screens meaning solo travellers don’t feel they have to talk to a stranger for their entire flight.

For those wanting to get immersed in IFE, expect a 15.4 inch touchscreen LCD Monitor with Panasonic eX2 in-flight entertainment system featuring 55 movies and 59 TV programmes along with the rest of the usual IFE offerings, including route maps, games and music. If that isn’t enough, expect full in seat power and USB ports in each seat. As for the catering, well, yes, it is a dry airline, meaning no alcohol, however, the airline more than makes up for this with fresh juices and excellent fusion cuisine and the airline is enjoying new tablewear including new fine glasswear.

Economy Class

Economy in Royal Brunei has always been a good product, featuring a more than comfortable 33″ seat pitch. Now on the 787 expect super huge windows, super large overhead bins and a cabin environment that has mood lighting, better circulation and a general sense of space all around. Being the Zodiac ‘Weber 5751′ seats you can expect a decent amount of comfort, with a decent recline and obviously and adjustable headrest. The 3 x 3 x 3 seating makes the seats narrow, but it’s the same experience for all carriers apart from ANA now in a 787. To keep you entertained, each seat is supplied with a 9 inch personal touch screen monitor, along with USB socket and a shared power socket (2 sockets per 3 seats) but with the USB socket, and most people charging their iPhones and Tablets on that, expect no problems sharing the sockets. A nice touch is Royal Brunei offer noise cancelling headsets for both Economy and Business Class passengers.

What of the cabin? We love the colour tones in the cabin, the variety of coloured seats helps break up the cabin and make it feel more intimate. The muted moss greens and aquas sit along with the white walls, and give a sense of sophistication and tranquility. Green is a colour being used more and more in cabins, as chromotherapy research has shown that green offers a subconscious feeling of serenity and relaxation, and is why it is often used in hospitals and spas. The crisp white headrest covers though give the cabin a sharper edge, and helps modernise the cabin.

In business, the seats appear comfortable and the clean lines help remove unwanted clutter, providing more space per passenger. The muted autumnal tones and greys mean business and add an air of sophistication and luxury to the cabin. In all, this muted interior sits perfectly with the bright and bold exterior. This is one contemporary solution, both on the interior and exterior of the aircraft. We cannot wait to try this ‘BetterFly’ soon!

It’s no secret that we weren’t fans of American’s new livery when it came out, and although we loved the new 777 premium cabins, we thought the livery was missing the mark, being overtly American, one thing that Internationally has always been a nationalistic stereotype picked up on by the rest of the global community.

It was a story that was picked up on by newspapers, commented on on news channels and had fans up-in-arms, causing a huge amount of controversy, however the outgoing CEO of American at the time said the new livery was here to stay. Now that the merger has completed between the two American carriers, new American CEO Doug Parker kept getting asked one question in his interviews.
Are you going to keep the livery that American unveiled last January?

His reply was to offer it to the staff of the airline, with a vote taking place currently (finishing in a few days), announced in an internal memo. In a lengthy and well constructed letter, he mentions “While I enjoy debating the merits of certain aircraft liveries as much as anyone, I have always believed they are not particularly important to the success of an airline.” Whilst this comment isn’t wrong, it is in our instance a little short-sighted. The livery, is by essence the biggest billboard for the airline possible, it needs to impart the personality of the airline, especially in countries where American is less known. A big American flag, no matter how it is described, can be seen as a negative, and no other major carrier uses their national flag so blatantly on their aircraft for the same reason. Carriers now have to appear international and less country-centric to appeal to a broader audience and show a more culturally sensitive approach.

He further goes on to describe that for financial and technical reasons, they won’t change the entire plane look, but only focus on the tail. We have to agree, that is a sensible move. Not only is it financially a more viable and logical step, from a branding perspective, a rapid change in a brand image can be damaging, showing an instability at the airlines core. However, he has offered his staff two choices, that both seem perhaps a little unconsidered.

One option is to offer the current livery design that has been rolled out over 200 of the 620 aircraft currently in the fleet.

The other option, offers the original Masimo Vignelli “AA” initials with eagle crest which is because “we have heard from many employees that they miss the old AA with the eagle.” Now if you ask us, this is a step backwards, as we are now looking at two contrasting logos on one aircraft. Now whilst here at thedesignair.net we would love to see the old logo and livery forever (It won our top livery 2012) we can also see the need for change. What we can’t understand is why there weren’t other options offered for the tail fin design that managed to feel a little more considered.

Even us here at thedesignair.net, quickly knocking up in a morning, seemingly have been able to create something that may be able to replace the flag tail, without having to step back to the past.

In our versions (above) the new ‘Eagle swash’ design is perfectly designed to match the tail fin angle, and when the eagle’s beak is taken off, the logo cleverly becomes ‘all things American’ but in a more subtle way. A star can now be seen, along with the red, white and blue of the tail – forming all the elements of the American flag. Wrapping the logo around the fuselage (as in the first image) will also help balance the livery design, connecting the tail fin with the fuselage. Whilst we our ideas aren’t perfect (and will probably come under fire), they showcase the fact that more can be done with the jet than just these two options that Doug Parker wants to offer. Infact, we are holding this open to a vote…