Airline livery; Discover Best Creative Airplane Liveries
- Zohreh Khosravi
- 19 hours ago
The exterior of an airplane is the first thing passengers see before boarding. This is known as the livery—a combination of colors, symbols, logos, and designs that adorn the fuselage and tail. A livery not only reflects the visual identity of an airline but also serves as a powerful canvas for storytelling, marketing, and even artistic expression.
Originally, the term livery referred to the official uniform worn by servants in royal households, later extending to the decorative designs on carriages, trains, and eventually, aircraft. During the 1980s and 1990s, airlines began adopting cleaner, more minimalist styles. White fuselages became standard—both for aesthetic uniformity and functional purposes, such as reducing heat absorption and fuel consumption. Yet within this simplicity, airlines still found ways to stand out with creative tail designs, color accents, and visual themes. Even the fashion world left its mark on airline liveries, as trends began to mirror political, economic, and cultural influences of the time.
Why Liveries Matter
While complex and colorful liveries can be costly to maintain, many airlines still embrace bold creativity. Below are some of the most iconic and imaginative liveries that have taken to the skies:
Alaska Airlines’ new Disneyland Resort-themed aircraft brings the story of Princess Tiana to the skies with a vibrant design inspired by “The Princess and the Frog”. This marks the first time a Disney Princess has ever appeared on an aircraft livery. The livery was unveiled on May 16, 2025, coinciding with Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration, and made its inaugural flight from Portland to Santa Ana. The artwork took more than 2,000 hours to complete and features lively details: Louis the alligator among bayou lilies, a glowing trail of fireflies stretching from nose to tail, and Mama Odie and Prince Naveen depicted on the winglets.
Brussels Airlines demonstrates Belgium’s heritage by turning its A320 aircraft into symbols of the country’s national culture. One of the airline’s standout liveries features the legendary comic book character Tintin, who is considered a childhood hero by many around the world. With its animated aesthetic and nostalgic charm, this aircraft offers passengers a delightful journey through Belgium’s artistic heritage. This livery is part of the “Belgian Icons” art series in Brussels Airlines’ fleet, promoting Belgium’s rich heritage on a global scale with its unique designs.
The Portuguese airline Hi Fly has raised awareness about ocean pollution with a special livery on its Airbus A330-300. Half of the aircraft’s body is painted dark blue, symbolizing plastic waste, while the other half is light blue, representing clean oceans. As part of a global awareness campaign, this aircraft has traveled to over 60 destinations across five continents. The campaign aims to warn that, plastic waste will soon be more than fish in the oceans. Hi Fly is also trying to be recognized as a “plastic-free” airline.
With the arrival of its first Airbus A350-900, SWISS International Airlines has unveiled a special livery named Wanderlust—a design inspired by Switzerland’s traditional elements and cultural symbols. Created by Fredric Siegel, the artwork blends grand structures, tourist attractions, folk art motifs, and sporting events into a creative visual narrative. The livery, like an art gallery, serves as an invitation to explore the diversity and beauty of Switzerland. Passengers can also visit the website to explore the aircraft’s artwork and solve puzzles for a chance to win a pair of round-trip Business Class tickets on SWISS’s new Airbus A350-900.
GOL’s Boeing 737-800, registered PR-GUO, was transformed into a flying artwork during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, in collaboration with the Brazilian twin street artists Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo. Within one intensive week and using 1,200 spray paint, they painted the aircraft’s fuselage with a series of yellow and brown portraits symbolizing the people and fans of Brazil’s national team. This special aircraft, known as “Graffiti Jet,” carried the national team between host cities and visualized the dream of “walking on clouds” for everyone—a unique fusion of street art and aviation.
Emirates has redefined the experience of fast delivery with its new livery—an A380 design inspired by kraft paper that makes the fuselage resemble a brown parcel. Parts of parcel appear as if unwrapped, revealing the UAE flag on the tail and the Emirates Courier Express emblem on both sides. The emblem also features on all four engines, while the classic red Emirates branding is displayed underneath the fuselage. A large “Special Delivery” stamp, along with several other global shipping marks, adds to the design’s realism. The livery conveys Emirates’ capability to combine its wide-body fleet with SkyCargo’s global network.
The Icelandair Boeing 757-200, named “Hekla Aurora,” showcases the stunning beauty of the Northern Lights. The aircraft’s livery is a blend of green, blue, and purple colors, evoking the winter nights of Iceland. Inside the plane, ambient LED lighting aligns with this theme, immersing passengers in the glow of the Northern Lights. This aircraft is part of the #MyStopover campaign, which invites passengers to stop in Iceland during their transit flights between Europe and North America. As a unique feature of the Icelandair fleet, this livery represents the national heritage of Iceland.
flysepehran is the first Iranian airline to showcase an innovative livery in the skies of Iran by introducing a uniquely designed tail and fuselage. This special design, featuring a red heart against a blue sky, pays respect to the members of the RedMiles loyalty program. The Boeing 737, registered EP-FSV, symbolizes the airline’s warm and committed bond with its loyal passengers, carrying a simple yet meaningful message: “Our heart beats for you.” This aircraft first carried passengers from Tehran to Mashhad and today continues to serve on various routes.
