Retro painted aircraft
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Retro painted aircraft
Every now and again, a major airline will decide to paint one of its aircraft in a livery dating back maybe 50 years.
Clearly aircraft need to be repainted on a regular basis to keep up a polished image and avoid passengers linking peeling/fading paint with poor quality aircraft maintenance.
Yes the spotter side of me likes seeing the odd retro livery but there is presumably a higher cost for the paint shop to use a retro livery rather than the standard livery and there is a risk some passengers will think that a 50 year old aircraft is still being used. Most passengers don't spend much time spotting or looking at aircraft photos.
So why do airlines choose to paint aircraft in retro livery ? Some senior manager presumably has to authorise the cost and non-standard image. "Because it looks pretty" probably isn't a sufficiently good reason for the deviation from normal corporate process.
Clearly aircraft need to be repainted on a regular basis to keep up a polished image and avoid passengers linking peeling/fading paint with poor quality aircraft maintenance.
Yes the spotter side of me likes seeing the odd retro livery but there is presumably a higher cost for the paint shop to use a retro livery rather than the standard livery and there is a risk some passengers will think that a 50 year old aircraft is still being used. Most passengers don't spend much time spotting or looking at aircraft photos.
So why do airlines choose to paint aircraft in retro livery ? Some senior manager presumably has to authorise the cost and non-standard image. "Because it looks pretty" probably isn't a sufficiently good reason for the deviation from normal corporate process.
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I think a lot of it is down to social media and the like. You always need to repaint your aircraft every so often so why not a special heritage scheme. It will show off your roots and heritage and will likely get a lot of free advertising through social media. I think that having trendy/hip/funny videos (which are always shared online by the airlines) is all about marketing and not to get people watching them. I think that craze is on the way out as even Delta are now showing their new bland video and gone is the one with subtle changes and they've even got rid of Deltalina.
I agree about some people being confused or anxious about flying on a supposed old school aircraft. I've heard a rumour of a BOAC livery appearing on a BA jet. That really will confuse. I'd like to see a retro easyJet one. The one with the silver engines and the 01582 number on the side!
I agree about some people being confused or anxious about flying on a supposed old school aircraft. I've heard a rumour of a BOAC livery appearing on a BA jet. That really will confuse. I'd like to see a retro easyJet one. The one with the silver engines and the 01582 number on the side!
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An aircraft such as the new B789 would be seen at very few destinations on the BA network. For greater visibility it is better to use an aircraft such as the A321 which serves a large number of BA destinations and would be widely seen by the traveling public.
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I think a BA A321 in the Dan-Air livery of the 1970s would look excellent, but it will not happen.
Retro jets only seem, to be painted up in an earlier scheme of that airline with the same name, BOAC would be lost on the majority of travellers, just like Dan-Air.
Retro jets only seem, to be painted up in an earlier scheme of that airline with the same name, BOAC would be lost on the majority of travellers, just like Dan-Air.
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I think a BA A321 in the Dan-Air livery of the 1970s would look excellent, but it will not happen.
Retro jets only seem, to be painted up in an earlier scheme of that airline with the same name, BOAC would be lost on the majority of travellers, just like Dan-Air.
Retro jets only seem, to be painted up in an earlier scheme of that airline with the same name, BOAC would be lost on the majority of travellers, just like Dan-Air.
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Buster,
Dan-air was a particular favourite of mine and I too would like to see a BA airbus wearing a DA retro scheme, though I agree it will not happen.
Philbky,
I'd be inclined to say that the American V UK situations are a bit different. The US have a huge home or domestic market where most of the retro scheme represent airlines that would have been well know. Most of BA's flying is international and outside of the UK most would not know who Dan-air or BOAC are for that matter. Hence, I'd be in agreement with Buster and I guess it comes down to brand building and the value add from such a paint job, be hard to see where they could gain anything. Whereas in the US adorning the schemes of well liked by gone airlines could be good to enhance the likes of say AA. Just my perspective.
EI-BUD
Dan-air was a particular favourite of mine and I too would like to see a BA airbus wearing a DA retro scheme, though I agree it will not happen.
Totally untrue. American have continued the US Airways tradition of painting aircraft in the colours of their predecessor constituents, albeit with American titles.
I'd be inclined to say that the American V UK situations are a bit different. The US have a huge home or domestic market where most of the retro scheme represent airlines that would have been well know. Most of BA's flying is international and outside of the UK most would not know who Dan-air or BOAC are for that matter. Hence, I'd be in agreement with Buster and I guess it comes down to brand building and the value add from such a paint job, be hard to see where they could gain anything. Whereas in the US adorning the schemes of well liked by gone airlines could be good to enhance the likes of say AA. Just my perspective.
EI-BUD
I agree about some people being confused or anxious about flying on a supposed old school aircraft.
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Buster,
Dan-air was a particular favourite of mine and I too would like to see a BA airbus wearing a DA retro scheme, though I agree it will not happen.
Philbky,
I'd be inclined to say that the American V UK situations are a bit different. The US have a huge home or domestic market where most of the retro scheme represent airlines that would have been well know. Most of BA's flying is international and outside of the UK most would not know who Dan-air or BOAC are for that matter. Hence, I'd be in agreement with Buster and I guess it comes down to brand building and the value add from such a paint job, be hard to see where they could gain anything. Whereas in the US adorning the schemes of well liked by gone airlines could be good to enhance the likes of say AA. Just my perspective.
EI-BUD
Dan-air was a particular favourite of mine and I too would like to see a BA airbus wearing a DA retro scheme, though I agree it will not happen.
Philbky,
I'd be inclined to say that the American V UK situations are a bit different. The US have a huge home or domestic market where most of the retro scheme represent airlines that would have been well know. Most of BA's flying is international and outside of the UK most would not know who Dan-air or BOAC are for that matter. Hence, I'd be in agreement with Buster and I guess it comes down to brand building and the value add from such a paint job, be hard to see where they could gain anything. Whereas in the US adorning the schemes of well liked by gone airlines could be good to enhance the likes of say AA. Just my perspective.
EI-BUD
The point I was making was the first phrase of Buster'second paragraph was an incorrect generalisation.
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I'd agree a BOAC scheme might confuse in the USA however it took a few years for the lobby guys in The Lexington to drop the cry for 'Bow-Ack' bags.
A handful of BA Airbus narrowbodies painted in Northeast and Cambrian colours would be very appealing but may have limited recognition beyond Newcastle,Leeds and Manchester shuttle flights. I would like to have seen this done when BA resumed Heathrow - Leeds in 2012. I can but hope.
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David,
Mostly it's down to creating publicity in celebration of a major milestone or anniversary.
It is certainly a way for the airline to generate news out of nothing so the expense of doing so by far pays for itself.
Personally I want to see a 787 in landor livery
Mostly it's down to creating publicity in celebration of a major milestone or anniversary.
It is certainly a way for the airline to generate news out of nothing so the expense of doing so by far pays for itself.
Personally I want to see a 787 in landor livery
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Preon, as late as 1987 the mechanical departure boards at Washington Dulles had BOAC light blue tags which could be seen when the boards flipped over and sometimes were used for BA flights.
In fact some are arguably still present today, for example if you board a BA flight numbered below BA300, you're flying what would have been a BOAC route, and if your flight number is odd then you're outbound from LHR. Conversely, you're on a route in BEA's empire if it's BA300 and upwards, and outbounds are even numbered.
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I prefer the old classic liveries, they were distinctive and restrained, three of four colours divided by a 'cheat' line along the windows and a widget and refined logo. Think of the Pan Am, TWA and Continental globes, the JAL crane and not least the BOAC Speedbird. The BA Landor livery looked classy compared to the soggy dishcloth on the tail that replaced it.
These days they are imitations of cheap soft drinks cans. It is either colours splashed on or overall white looking like a tube of toothpaste.
What's the difference between a budget airliner and a tube of toothpaste?
You squeeze the contents out of a tube of toothpaste.
These days they are imitations of cheap soft drinks cans. It is either colours splashed on or overall white looking like a tube of toothpaste.
What's the difference between a budget airliner and a tube of toothpaste?
You squeeze the contents out of a tube of toothpaste.
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In recent times, Qantas had presented one of its new aircraft in a retro livery. It looked quite smart, too (IMHO).
Public reaction had been so favourable that they did a second one in an even earlier scheme.
There we go, you see.
Public reaction had been so favourable that they did a second one in an even earlier scheme.
There we go, you see.
The problem with painting an aircraft in BOAC retro livery is there aren't many people left on the planet who would know what it was, unless you use the blue stripe and 'Speedbird' gold tail with the words 'British Airways' instead of BOAC, which in my humble opinion was ghastly!
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QF have the advantage of a very large domestic network (as USA) so they know that the recognition will be high.
I saw this 738 at Brisbane in early April. Sorry it's rather a small image;
In recent times, Qantas had presented one of its new aircraft in a retro livery. It looked quite smart, too
I saw this 738 at Brisbane in early April. Sorry it's rather a small image;