Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has unveiled a new livery design which will be introduced across its fleet.
Created by brand consultants Landor Associates in partnership with Etihad Airways, the new livery is inspired by traditional Emirati design patterns, the landscapes of the desert and the geometric shapes found in the modern architecture of Abu Dhabi.
The new livery was unveiled as Etihad Airways’ first A380 rolled-out of the paint hangar at the Airbus Finkenwerder facility in Hamburg, Germany.
“The striking new livery continues our commitment to breaking from convention and doing things differently,” said
James Hogan, President and CEO, Etihad Airways. This is a real divergence from the norms of traditional airline livery design and will stand out in the sky and at every airport we fly to.”
The design pattern named ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ uses a color palette which reflects the varying hues of the landscape of the UAE, from the darker sands of Liwa to the lighter colors seen in the Northern Emirates. The design development involved researching design options amongst Emiratis and international travellers to help select the final ‘winning’ livery.
The UAE national emblem is given prominence along the fuselage next to the Etihad name and the national flag is featured forward near the cockpit.
The entire Etihad Airways fleet of more than 100 aircraft, as well as those to be delivered, will be painted in the new livery during the next three years ensuring that the Facets of Abu Dhabi is seen across the world.
Etihad Airways will take delivery of seven wide-bodied aircraft in 2015 – four A380s and three Boeing 787-9s – and seven narrow-bodied aircraft – one A320 and six A321s.
Etihad Airways, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2013, has introduced unique liveries on several of its aircraft to mark special events and occasions.