New Etihad Livery Will Be Applied to Entire Fleet by 2017

Etihad’s recently unveiled livery will be applied to the carrier’s entire fleet by the end of 2017.

A new look is coming to the Etihad Airways fleet. FlightGlobal.com reports that the UAE flag carrier will soon begin repainting its aircraft in the new “Facets of Abu Dhabi” livery scheme, which was unveiled in Germany on September 25.

According to the report, the new aircraft that are scheduled to join the Etihad fleet in 2015 — including three Boeing 787-9, four Airbus A380, six A321 and one A320 — will feature the new look straight from the factory. The rest of the fleet, which currently contains more than 100 aircraft, is expected to have the new colors painted on over the next three years.

A press release on the Etihad website explains that the new livery was created to reflect “varying hues of the landscape of the UAE, from the darker sands of Liwa to the lighter colors seen in the Northern Emirates.” The new livery was selected in consultation with both natives of the UAE and international travelers.

“The striking new livery also continues our commitment to breaking from convention and doing things differently,” Etihad President and CEO James Hogan explained in the press release. “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.”

When asked by FlightGlobal.com, executives at the airline declined to say exactly how much the repainting of the fleet would cost. “It’s a big exercise but it’s worth it,” said Etihad CCO Peter Baumgartner.

[Photo: Etihad Airways]