Photos: First flight of Asiana Airlines' first A380

by Devesh Agarwal

Korea's Asiana Airlines’ first A380 has successfully completed its maiden flight. The A380 flew from Airbus’ facilities in Toulouse, France to the aircraft manufacturer’s site in Hamburg, Germany, where it will undergo painting and cabin furnishing.

Asiana Airlines will become the twelfth operator of the A380 when it takes delivery of its first aircraft in the second quarter of 2014. The airline has firm orders for six A380s and will operate the aircraft on its primary routes from Seoul to the United States.

Below are two high resolution photos from Airbus which you can right click and download.

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Cathay Pacific unveils third "Spirit of Hong" special livery Boeing 777-300ER

Cathay Pacific Airways unveiled the third edition of the airline’s “Spirit of Hong Kong” livery painted on one its Boeing 777-300ER B-KPB.

Time lapse video at the end of the article.

The livery design carries the silhouettes of the 110 “The Spirit of Hong Kong” campaign winners.
“The Spirit of Hong Kong” campaign called for entries that best represented the spirit of Hong Kong in terms of the relevance of the message, the ability to inspire, creativity and presentation quality. 200 weekly winners were selected by public voting, then a judging panel selected 100 Top Winners and 10 Champions.

Cathay Pacific began highlighting the spirit of its home city in 1997, when the airline created a special livery for one of its aircraft that showcased the Hong Kong skyline in celebration of the transfer of sovereignty. In 2000, the airline unveiled its second “Spirit of Hong Kong” aircraft, created through a livery design competition, that highlighted the resilience of Hong Kong and urged people to come together to overcome the challenges the city faced.

Time lapse video on the painting of the livery

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High resolution photos of South African Airways A320, French Air Force A400M, Turkish Air Force A400M

Courtesy Airbus S.A.S. some high resolution photos for your enjoyment.

South African Airways takes delivery of its first two A320s 'classic'. Enjoy the livery.

The French Air Force (Armee De L'Air) took delivery of the first A400M transporter.

Not high resolution. The first flight of the first A400M destined for the Turkish Air Force.

All images are courtesy and copyright of Airbus and are used under fair use.

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Philippine Airlines takes delivery of first Airbus A321

by BA Staff

Image courtesy Airbus S.A.S. Used under fair use license.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321. It is the first of 64 new Airbus aircraft ordered by the airline in 2012 under a major fleet modernisation programme. These include 44 single aisle A321s and 20 widebody A330s.

Philippine Airlines will operate the A321 primarily on international routes across the Asian region, and a few domestic flights, in a two class cabin. 12 seats in business and 187 in economy class.

Ramon Ang, President and CEO, Philippine Airlines said

“We are excited about the A321 not only because its size fit our expansion plans, but the flexibility it gives us in matching the aircraft to specific route requirements is tremendous,” “With the A321 we will be able to add capacity without compromising comfort, offering our passengers a choice between full premium class and a great range of value fares.”

Philippine Airlines operates 22 A320 Family aircraft, eight A330s, and and seven A340-300s in its fleet.

Philippine Airlines will take delivery of the first of its 20 new A330s in the third quarter of the year. The carrier is also currently adding four A340-300s to its fleet for deployment on new non-stop services from the Philippines to Europe, scheduled to begin next month.

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AirAsia India and AirAsia X: artistic design contests

Yet to commence low cost carrier AirAsia India, and its Malaysian long distance cousin AirAsia X, are each having an artistic design contest.

AirAsia India is accepting entries for a wall mural at its Chennai head office while AirAsia X is inviting entries for painting one of its A330 aircraft. Full rules can be read here and here.

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Image: First Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner features the new Boeing livery

Boeing rolled out its first 787-9 Dreamliner, and this aircraft has also become the first 787 to don the new Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) livery.

The new look began with the 747-8 and evolved with the 737 MAX. The new livery retains many of the features of the original 787-8 livery, adding a prominent number on the tail to help distinguish among models within the same product family.

With the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters), the 787-9 will carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 kilometers). First delivery to launch customer Air New Zealand is set for mid-2014.

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Plane spotting picture: Jet Airways Boeing 737-800 in Disney channel special livery

Taken by our photographer at Bangalore airport on Sunday, VT-JGV a Boeing 737-800 of Jet Airways sporting the new Disney channel livery with our childhood cartoon favourites Donald Duck, Pluto, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy.

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Finnair to re-paint Marimekko livery A330 due to copyright violation

Finnair will be re-painting its Airbus A330 OH-LTM with the blue-forest livery based on the Marimekko print Metsänväki (“Forest Folk”), unveiled earlier this month. Read the story here.

As per the airline

We introduced the Marimekko livery with the Metsänväki (Forest folk) print on May 7, as a part of our cooperation with the Finnish design house Marimekko. On May 29th, Ms Kristina Isola, who was the designer of the Marimekko pattern we used in our Airbus 330, admitted that she had used the original work of an Ukrainian artist Maria Primatshenko as the basis of her design. Ms Isola apologized for this and said she regretted it deeply. The news came as a surprise to both Finnair and Marimekko, who had introduced the pattern to their selection of designs in 2008. Ms Isola has worked for Marimekko for decades.

Finnair immediately took action and we had the pattern removed from our aircraft, as we take intellectual property rights very seriously.

The airline also has an Airbus A340 painted with the Marimekko designed Unikko (poppy) print, and will continue to use it.

Finnair will also continue its cooperation with the Finnish design house and use tableware and blankets, specially designed for it, by Marimekko.

Our cooperation with Marimekko continues, and we have introduced the tableware designed by Marimekko especially for Finnair use into our aircraft in mid May, and one of our Airbus 340s is painted with the iconic Unikko (poppy) pattern by Marimekko. The case with the other print used in the aircraft was very unfortunate, but it does not impact the good cooperation we have with Marimekko.

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Painted Skies: news and pictures of aircraft special liveries - June 5

A319-112     3660     OK-NEP     CSA Czech Airlines
seen at FRA 30/05/13 with a special "90 1923-2013" anniversary sticker on the fuselage instead of the standard CSA logo
http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=1224431

A320-212     187     F-GFKS     Air France (SKYTEAM cs)     
last service 21/04/13, ferried 07/05/13 CDG-NWI, seen at NWI 03/06/13 in basic SKYTEAM cs, for part out and scrap

A320-214     4699     OK-HCA     Holidays Czech Airlines
ferried 29/04/13 JED-PRG after lst/opf NAS Air, back in service since 02/05/13 again in special "PRAGUE loves YOU" cs
http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=1223316

A320-214     5587     EC-LVP     Vueling Airlines
unveiled at BCN 30/05/13 in special "Linking Europe" cs (different cs on port side / starboard side)
port side: http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=1225126
starboard side: http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=1224591

B737-890(wl)     35179 / 2072     N560AS     Alaska Airlines
seen at PAE 02/06/13 in special *Hawaii* / "Spirit of the Islands" cs after paint, officially unveiled 03/06/13, different cs on port side / starboard side
port side: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Alaska-Airlines/Boeing-737-890/2267525/L/&sid=8568f2e977cd4358722548d04f65d2d1
starboard side: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BS2U-5-a9WaHJtMaLNpDU0UxUF09t1JZuxEccb65ZfJ6f9QuhUbt2NDnGl50dtnG3RtyrGhioylOTZMhxGN8aqNekGHi1DQ9El6I8L_2qHr_ZSxvjqqzDkuJcMu6s9tcwvmneRajgv7s/s1600/paint_islands+_2.JPG Original story here.

More on this livery here.

B737-8JP(wl)     40544 / 4474     LN-NID     Norwegian Air Shuttle
delivered 29-30/05/13 BFI-OSL with white tail cs, entered service 31/05/13 OSL-ARN, now with "Christina Nilsson Swedish opera singer" tail cs
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ingerbf/8901460864/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Bombardier Global Express     9060     M-ATAR     Palmer Aviation (Australia)
seen at BNE 30/05/13 in special "Palmer United" cs (Promoting mining magnate Clive Palmer's new Palmer United party. Clive Palmer has recently launched a campaign to run for Prime Minister.)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTWdnWt3OqlCHCNymg_kfyA1Xic0j2LHbslea3HG8IooQuQZnx452_lnfkEy8lP64MA-xDc8soCMKMXAuNIPlT_RM1FWqddsoKKSvqTMLbKUdYyg1dqoZ9H8XxFJgAW-j8Nfr5E3fuP0D/s1600/CHALLENGER_013.jpg

Canadair CRJ-200ER     7179     VP-BMN     RusLine
seen at NWI 03/06/13 in white/golden RusLine cs after paint, ex red/golden cs Air Volga cs (arrived at NWI 28/05/13)

Embraer 170SU     17000036     F-HBXP     HOP! 
in service since 30/05/13 after paint, ex Régional Airlines in special *white/gold* cs (last service as such 23/05/13)

Embraer 195AR     19000628     PR-AXV     Azul Línhas Aéreas
seen at SJK 29/05/13 in special hybrid Trip/Azul cs named "Espírito de União" prior delivery
http://www.aeroentusiasta.com.br/posts/312

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Video: First Airbus A350XWB rolls out of the paint hangar

The first A350 XWB emerged from the paint shop at the Toulouse, France plant with its Airbus livery on 13 May 2013, marking a new milestone toward this jetliner's maiden flight in the summer. Rumours abound that Airbus is trying to make the first before the Paris air show.

All that aside, what do you think of how the plane looks? The nose is a sharp departure from the bulbous noses its other Airbus siblings share.

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PHOTOS: British Airways rolls out first painted A380

by Vinay Bhaskara

The first fully painted Airbus A380 for British Airways was rolled out of Airbus' paint shop in Hamburg this past weekend. The first of 12 A380s for British Airways is scheduled to be delivered in July, and is outfitted with 469 seats. British Airways will introduce the aircraft on shorter training flights before introducing it on long haul services to Hong Kong and Los Angeles in October & November.

images courtesy of British Airways and Flightglobal

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'Painted Skies News' - special aircraft liveries - Apr 3

This fortnight's edition of news on special liveries from Karsten Heiligtag. *cs = colour scheme

by Devesh Agarwal

A300B4-622R(F) 734 TC-MCC MNG Airlines Cargo
in service since 26/02/13 now in nearly full latest cs after paint (titles on white fuselage (blue tail cs do not swing into the rear fuselage as usually) but has the latest revised larger tail logo), ex all white cs http://www.fap.fi/view_photo.php?id=5142

A330-343(E) 1160 TC-JNI Turkish Airlines
seen at IST 23/03/13 with special "ISTANBUL2020" decal on forward lower fuselage http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=1208375

ATR 72-500 570 CX-LFL BQB Lineas Aéreas
seen at POA 19/03/13 with additional *leafes* , *snow* and *flower blossom* stickers
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7574682

BAe 146-300 3134 D-AWBA WDL
seen at CGN 13/03/13 with special "publitec" titles/logos on white cs
http://www.flugzeugbilder.de/show.php?id=1206571

B717-231 55058 / 5017 N936AT AirTran Airways
seen at ATL 06/03/13 back in full standard cs, ex special *Indianapolis Colts* cs http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=N936AT&distinct_entry=true

B737-83N(wl) 32616 / 1212 HS-DBJ Nok Air
arrived at DMK 17/02/13 in full *orange clownfish* cs named "Nok Raroeng" on delivery (2nd Nok Air aircraft painted in *orange clownfish* cs), seen in service at HKT 22/02/13, ex Jet Airways VT-JGN http://www.planespotters.net/Aviation_Photos/photo.show?id=361781

B737-86N(wl) 35220 / 2406 PH-TFF Arkefly
r/o at EMA 25/03/13 in new cs after paint http://www.irishairpics.com/photo/1046361/L/Boeing-737-86NWL/PH-TFF/Arkefly-OR--TFL/

DHC-8-402Q 4016 D-ADHQ Augsburg Airways
ferried 25/02/13 MUC-IGS for paint, ferried 01/03/13 IGS-MUC after paint into all white fuselage & all black tail cs (= basic STAR ALLIANCE cs, not painted in full STAR ALLIANCE cs as reported before), ferried 03/03/13 MUC-EXT, ferried 24/03/13 EXT-MUC prior operations for Swiss from 01/04/13 http://www.flickr.com/photos/66241575@N08/8586667843/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Embraer 195SR 19000169 VP-CQR NAS Air
seen at EXT 24/03/13 now with VP-reg and "nasair" titles on Windrose Air cs (was seen at EXT 16/03/13 still with UR-reg but already with "nasair" titles on Windrose Air cs), ex Windrose Air UR-WRF http://www.flickr.com/photos/66241575@N08/8587286444/sizes/l/in/photostream/

MD-11(F) 48481 / 482 N585FE FedEx
seen at DEL 25/03/13 in special "Panda Express" cs http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7577745

A320-216 2612 9M-AFA AirAsia
in service since 21/03/13 now in special "The Apprentice Asia" cs, ex special "Truly Asean" cs (last service 28/02/13) http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7579205

A320-214 2768 9H-AEO Air Malta (special "VALLETTA European Capital Of Culture 2018 Candidate City" cs)
ferried 02/04/13 MLA-OSR for tail section to be painted into new cs

ATR 72-500 758 HS-DRD Nok Air
delivered 20/02/13 XSP-DMK in ??? cs with M-reg, seen at DMK 01/04/13 with HS-reg in *violet/purple/pale pink/white/yellow* cs named "Nok Sai-Lom", ex M-IBAD, ex Kingfisher Airlines VT-KAK http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=608760295819266&set=o.310508655705024&type=1&relevant_count=1


B737-8BG(wl) 32356 / 819 ZS-SJL Mango
seen at JNB 09/02/13 with a special "brother at your side print copy scan fax label ... and more" decal
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7574829

B737-838(wl) 34187 / 3826 VH-VZU Qantas
seen at ADL 28/03/13 with an additional *Qantas loves ellen* sticker
http://planespottingadelaide.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/VH-VZU.jpg

B737-89P(wl) 39724 / 4383 B-5756 China Eastern Yunnan Airlines
delivered 29/03/13 ex BFI in special *Peacock* cs and with an additional "1000th Boeing airplane delivered to China" sticker next to front door
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOYhoKhv52znEIUDO7oVNqJOGKHd-wWHZrNY7s7Q5sseIsK41wS-MgaS6iU0zTs24fEP_u7f4EKPXMmJLWzUKG8X5bfCliW_YEGpx9A8q3EzHSNjnD718Ct20Q1VCBg0v9EPQr8lnxj4/s1600/B738+B-5756+CHINA+EASTERN.jpg

B737-8V3 40781 / 4396 HP-1830CMP Copa Airlines
delivered 28/03/13 BFI-SJO in STAR ALLIANCE cs without winglets
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smartjunco/8594413190/sizes/o/in/photostream/

B777-246 27652 / 72 JA8985 Japan Airlines
seen at HND 27/03/13 in special "Tokyo Disney Resort 30 The Happiness Year" cs, officially named "JAL Happiness Express" (different cs on port side / starbord side) ………. Reportedly Japan Airlines will paint six aircraft with this special "JAL Happiness Express" livery, two Boeing 777-200 and four Boeing 737-800.
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=JA8985&distinct_entry=true

DHC-8-402Q 4016 D-ADHQ Augsburg Airways
seen at MUC 31/03/13 now in full STAR ALLIANCE, ex basic STAR ALLIANCE cs ............ ferried 01/04/13 MUC-ZRH on wet-lease to Swiss http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=1209764

MD-82 49524 / 1746 EP-MDC Iran Air Tours
seen at MHD 25/03/13 in hybrid Taban Air / Iran Air Tours cs, ex Taban Air EP-ARA
http://www.myaviation.ir/details.aspx?id=5456

Sukhoi SSJ 100-95B 95018 RA-89010 Aeroflot
seen at SVO 29/03/13 with special additional *CSKA* cheatline/titles/stickers
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Aeroflot---Russian/Sukhoi-Superjet-100-95B/2245950/L/&;sid=325306aa93c8099965a4c6878c2bb164

Japan Transocean Air's B737-4Q3 JA8939 *Whale Shark Jet* flying over the sea. Great shot!
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Japan-TransOcean-Air/Boeing-737-4Q3/2245256/L/&sid=ba77713fd1f6e38be5c3382cd01c4d9a

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'Painted Skies News' - special aircraft liveries - Mar 13

by Devesh Agarwal

This fortnight's edition of news on special liveries from Karsten Heiligtag. *cs = colour scheme

A320-214     4083     A9C-AD     Gulf Air
at DXB 08/02/13 in special cs now with "2013 Formular 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix" titles, ex "2012 Formular 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix"
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Gulf-Air/Airbus-A320-214/2230244/L/&sid=f2c9586395112746123c9cd54e781f18

A340-642     933     A6-EHJ     Etihad Airways (special "F1 Formula 1" cs)
seen at MEL 30/01/13 now with "Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2013" cs, ex "Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2012" titles (was still seen as such at MAN 22/01/13)
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Etihad-Airways/Airbus-A340-642X/2223746/L/&sid=670708f2dac910de638faec268faec24

B737-4K5(F)     24128 / 1715     S5-ABV     MNG Cargo Airlines / Solinair   
lst/opf Airstream Cargo (Nigeria) since 12/2012, seen at LOS 12/02/13 in full Airstream Cargo cs, ex full MNG Cargo cs
http://aviapix.ch/pics/FaAv/238/IMG_0809.jpg

B777-222(ER)     30222 / 317     N218UA     United Airlines (STAR ALLIANCE cs)   
in service since 04/02/13 now with the latest United titles/logo, last service with the old United titles/logo 22/01/13
http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates/United-Airlines/i-bcPvB4s/0/L/United%20777-200%20N218UA%20%2803-Star%20Alliance%29%28Grd%29%20SFO%20%28MDB%29%2846%29-L.jpg

B777-346(ER)     32433 / 527     JA734J     Japan Airlines
in service since 23/02/13 now in the latest cs & with additional "SKY ECO" / "2011-2020 United Nations Decade on Biodiversity" decals after paint
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Japan-Airlines--/Boeing-777-346-ER/2230831/L/&sid=97910dc0d1c3f6adb46bf444bc4c664f

DHC-8-402Q     4016     D-ADHQ     Augsburg Airways   
ferried 25/02/13 MUC-IGS for paint, ferried 01/03/13 IGS-MUC after paint into STAR ALLIANCE cs, ferried 03/03/13 MUC-EXT prior operations for Swiss from 01/04/13

A319-111     2578     G-EZIW     EasyJet
ferried 10/03/13 SEN-LGW after paint into special "Linate - Fiumicino   Per Tutti" cs on rear fuselage
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7570380

A319-132     3069     XA-VOE     Volaris
seen at MEX 17/02/13 in special "JOSE CUERVO EXPRESS" cs
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7566038&nseq=1526

A320-214     607     EY-631     Asian Express Airline      
seen parked at THR 03/03/13 in full cs, reportedly for Qeshm Airlines
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Asian-Express-Airlines/Airbus-A320-214/2235484/L/&sid=9f1ade2f17e932481b56482694af7a1e

A320-214     4680     G-EZUG     EasyJet
at LPL 09/03/13 with additional special "Moscow" titles on rear fuselage
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1394975/

B717-2BD     55043 / 5131     N891AT     AirTran Airways (special "Atlanta Falcons" cs)
reportedly was painted back into full standard AirTran cs early 02/2013

B717-231     55073 / 5028     N932AT     AirTran Airways (special "Milwaukee Brewers" cs)
will reportedly be painted back into full standard AirTran cs very soon (or maybe is already in process of being repainted)

B737-446     29864 / 3111     JA8999     Japan Transocean Air 
at KIX 08/03/13 in special *SWAL Southwest Air Lines 1967 - 1993 retro cs*, ex JAL Express
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3TzsyPjzwE

B737-85P(WL)     28382 / 256     ZS-ZWR     Kulula
seen at JNB 12/03/13 with special "Europcar" fuselage cs & new Kulula tail cs, ex only "kulula" tail titles on white cs
http://www.skyliner-aviation.de/viewphoto.main?LC=nav2&picid=8261

B737-8JP(WL)     39021 / 4371     LN-NGJ     Norwegian Air Shuttle
delivered 05-06/03/13 BFI-OSL with white tail cs, entered service 08/03/13 OSL-SXF, now with "John Bauer Swedish artist" tail cs
http://forum.flyprat.no/attachment.php?attachmentid=33997&d=1362810046

B777-381(ER)     32649 / 557     JA734A     All Nippon Airways
seen at FRA 03/03/13 with special "TOKYO 2020" titles
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/273442/ja734a-ana-all-nippon-airways-boeing-777-300er/

Note: External links are subject to our disclaimers and acknowledgement of external copyrights.

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'Painted Skies News' - special aircraft liveries - Mar 5

Karsten Heiligtag from Germany puts together this interesting list called "Painted Skies News" on a fortnightly basis, capturing aircraft in various liveries from around the world. If you are a "Special Liveries" junkie, I recommend this list. Bangalore Aviation has obtained permission from Karsten to re-publish his list.

Hope you enjoy. Please let us have your feedback on this initiative.

A340-343(E)     1071     A6-AFA     Etihad Airways (special "Visit Abu Dhabi" cs)
seen at FRA 15/02/13 now with "Visit Abu Dhabi 2013" titles, ex "Visit Abu Dhabi 2012" titles
http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/uploads/a6afa2013foruxj9ea2uv7s.jpg

ATR 72-500     805     CX-JCL     BQB Lineas Aereas
seen at POA 09/02/13 with additional "Verano 2013" and *sunshade* stickers
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBFXsAklzTGD4Qg15fhXchXsF_HPLOwRKUaGnfC2URwvCALGqhQ-bWWTmJS0ETqUG4O0XtxaLuifQQKZn-DhRjq7k2lM80ZE_H6e0gYpos4daM0DjZfJjyU8O-7n_C150v9VoEWrz8P8/s1600/BQB.jpg

B737-8Q8     30685 / 1789     B-5132     Shanghai Airlines
seen at SHA 18/01/13 now in the latest cs plus special "Ji'an" titles / stickers
http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7541865

B737-86N(wl)     32732 / 1056     ZS-ZWS     Kulula
seen at JNB 14/02/13 with special "Europcar" fuselage cs & new Kulula tail cs, ex only "kulula" tail titles on white cs
http://www.skyliner-aviation.de/viewphoto.main?LC=&picid=8230

B737-86J(wl)     37774 / 4328     HS-DBK     Nok Air
delivered 01/02/13 ex BFI to CGK in white cs with Air Berlin painted tail rudder and winglets for paint (Air Berlin D-ABMM ntu), ferried 14/02/13 CGK-DMK after paint into *white / multi blue / yellow* cs named "Nok Sabai", 1st service 19/02/13 DMK-CNX
http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/18240_494008233967821_1799792376_n.jpg

B737-8JP(wl)     39020 / 4343     LN-NGI     Norwegian Air Shuttle
delivered 14-15/02/13 BFI-OSL with white tail cs, entered service 17/02/13 OSL-CPH, now with "Wenche Foss Norwegian actress" tail cs
http://forum.flyprat.no/showpost.php?p=825285&postcount=11

Fokker 27-400     10295     9H-MQT     MiniLiner Malta
ferried 27/02/12 ex BGY on lst/opf Sky Gabon, seen at LBV 27/12/12 with such titles & small tail logo on white cs, ex MiniLiner I-MLQT
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Sky-Gabon/Fokker-F-27-400-Friendship/2223926/L/&sid=aafbc924ec3a1972c2f312de0e7b05b7

MD-11F     48783 / 627     D-ALCC     Lufthansa Cargo
in service since 05/02/13 with a large special "Aktion Deutschland Hilft" sticker, ex standard cs (26/01/13 - 01/02/13), ex special "100 Years Air Cargo" cs (last service as such 24/12/12)
http://i73.servimg.com/u/f73/14/10/72/34/img_0012.jpg

Douglas C-118B Liftmaster (DC-6A)     43720 / 373     N70BF     Florida Air Transport
Testing of aircraft spray systems requires the pilot to fly a precise altitude and heading. The sight and sound was remarkable!
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled-%28Florida-Air/Douglas-C-118B-Liftmaster/2223286/L/&sid=5aef43ac390c1d2f2b91c287f1696771

Nok Air Calender 2013
- please do not open the links if you got heart problems -
http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/600589_490397154328929_244254948_n.jpg

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=490397154328929&set=a.489281711107140.97387.110350542333594&type=3&permPage=1

A320-214(sl)     5477     N477AV     Avianca   
delivered 12-13/02/13 TLS-TFS-FOR-BOG in all white cs, ex F-WWBM ............ seen at BOG xx/02/13 now in STAR ALLIANCE cs
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidwMlbbnojYALatxbZszYaA6PAfJC2Fx5OVT11z5Afnvy-hZu5iLRST-E7mtifayU6Ge7EIJNg0jaokAWh7F5LdltiUUN0j08AZkxQB1G3IcLk-r2jjIaNa0jlrsIxnC74_8K8PCzjRg/s1600/484994_130918090419940_2112181104_n.jpg

B737-838(wl)     30901 / 1102     VH-VXG     Qantas
unveiled at SYD 25/02/13 in special "BRING IT ON" cs
http://fnqskies.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/bring-it-on-new-qantas-titles-on-vh-vxg.html

B767-381     25661 / 543     JA8674     All Nippon Airways
1st service 23/02/13 HND-KMI after paint into special "Yume Jet You and Me" cs (different cs on port side / starboard side)
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=JA8674&distinct_entry=true

B777-240(ER)     35296 / 613    AP-BHX     PIA
in service since 06/02/13 now in the latest cs, ex old cs with special *Baluchistan Province* tail cs named "Quetta - Nature's Orchard" (last service as such early 01/2013) .............. all PIA jetliners are now repainted in the latest cs
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50531088@N05/8507483227/

Pink Ladies Parking at FRA
http://www.airportzentrale.de/ladies-parking-am-flughafen-frankfurt-ganz-in-rosa/22995/

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Photo Essay: Malaysia Airlines joins oneworld, unveils special livery aircraft. oneworld double mileage offer.

by Devesh Agarwal, reporting from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Malaysia Airlines officially joined the oneworld alliance of airlines, as its 12th member, at 12:01am Malaysia Time (+8 GMT), earlier today.

A day earlier on January 31, the airline had a series of events to celebrate its joining the alliance. Bangalore Aviation was present at the occasion, and brings you this photo essay of the events of the day.

In the morning the airline unveiled its aircraft painted in the special oneworld livery. In the evening, the Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari (AJ) Yahya formally signed the joining contract at a live televised press event. The evening ended with a gala full sit down dinner with over 400 guests.

All ceremonies were attended by the CEOs of oneworld, and its member airlines, uniformed representatives (cabin and customer service crew) of all the airlines, and the world media.

The gala dinner added ministers and senior officers from the Malaysian Government, ambassadors to Malaysia from the home country of each the oneworld member and member-elect airlines, the airlines' most elite frequent flyers, a host of beauty queens, including the Malaysia Airlines cabin crew, amongst others.

Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330-300 9M-MTE in special oneworld livery. See another photo here.
This aircraft performed the first flight of the airline as a member of oneworld in the early hours of Feb 1 from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne.

The other 88 aircraft of the airline will wear the oneworld orb near the front doors. One Airbus A380 and one Boeing 737-800 will also be painted in the special oneworld livery in the coming months.

(L-R) Alan Joyce, CEO, QANTAS who sponsored Malaysia Airlines entry in to oneworld, Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari (AJ) Yahya, Bruce Ashby, CEO, oneworld.

AJ Yahya flanked by fellow CEOs, or senior management reps of oneworld member airlines. There is a genuine warmth and affection between Alan and AJ which was visible throughout the day. CEOs who attended the function were Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce, oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby, Cathay Pacific Airways Chief Executive John Slosar, Finnair President and Chief Executive Mika Vehvilainen, Japan Airlines Chairman Masaru Onishi, Member elect SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe and Chief Executive Kapila Chandrasena.

Uniformed cabin crew representatives from each of the oneworld member airlines standing top to bottom of the stairs in alphabetical order. AirBerlin, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN Chile, QANTAS, Royal Jordanian, S7 Russian Airlines, and Malaysia Airlines. The Master or rather mistress of ceremonies kept referring to the crew as "girls" requesting them to line up, forgetting that British Airways was represented by Mr. Dave.

CEOs, management reps, uniformed reps, and senior Malaysian government, immigration, airports, and customs officers.

In the humid, sticky heat, it was amazing to see how the Malaysia Airlines cabin crew of Ms. Nur Syaza and Mr. Shahrulufti kept their cool and make-up intact, despite being in full uniform. Incidentally, Malaysia Airlines has won the "World's Best Cabin Staff" award from Skytrax seven of the last 11 years.

Alan Joyce, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, and Bruce Ashby, celebrate after signing the contract

For photos from the gala evening, please visit the Malaysia Airlines Facebook page.

Notable quotes from the three key CEOs.

Group Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said

"Becoming a member of oneworld is one of the most significant landmarks in Malaysia Airlines' history. It will strengthen our competitive position considerably, enabling us to offer our customers a truly global network together with our partners who include some of the best and biggest airlines in the world. At the same time, it will enable us to benefit from all the financial benefits that come from being part of a global alliance, through additional passenger feed and the learning from best practices that it affords. As an airline that has always be proud to offer the highest quality Malaysian Hospitality, we are very pleased and honoured to be lining up as part of what is clearly the world's top quality airline grouping."

Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said

"Qantas has been delighted to support Malaysia Airlines throughout its oneworld joining process, and we are very pleased now to be able to welcome another great airline on board the world's premier global airline alliance."

oneworld Chief Executive Bruce Ashby

"oneworld aims to be the first choice alliance for the world's frequent international travellers - with an unrivalled collection of quality carriers, delivering unmatched benefits to customers and to member airlines alike. That remains our focus today, as the alliance adds another great airline. Malaysia Airlines strengthens the alliance's offering in the growing economic powerhouse of South East Asia, just as we expect oneworld to strengthen Malaysia Airlines' competitive and financial positions."

Double miles offer

To celebrate the addition of the Malaysia Airlines to the alliance oneworld has announced a special double miles offer to cardholders of all oneworld® member airlines' frequent flyer programmes - including those of Malaysia Airlines' Enrich.

Members of Malaysia Airlines' Enrich loyalty scheme will receive double Enrich award miles when flying between 15 February 2013 and 15 April 2013 on oneworld partners airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and around 30 of their affiliated airlines on tickets bought from today to 15 April 2013, provided they register first at the Enrich website.

Similarly, the 125 million members of existing oneworld airlines' loyalty programmes will receive double mileage awards when flying on Malaysia Airlines between 15 February 2013 and 15 April 2013. Each of the member airlines' website has more details.

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Exclusive photos: Malaysia Airlines joins oneworld alliance. Airbus A330 in special oneworld livery

National carrier Malaysia Airlines joins the oneworld alliance from tomorrow. Bangalore Aviation is in Kuala Lumpur to cover the event.

Below are some exclusive photos of Malaysia Airlines' Airbus A330-300 9M-MTE in the special oneworld livery. The airline will also paint one its Boeing 737-800's and one Airbus A380 superjumbo in the oneworld livery at a later date. Till then they will wear the oneworld orb next to their doors.

CEO's and representatives from all the members of the alliance were present at the ceremony.

Enjoy these special exclusive photos, brought to you first by Bangalore Aviation.

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More information from American Airlines on their recent rebranding

by Vinay Bhaskara

Following American Airlines' announcement of a new livery and logo lost week, Bangalore Aviation contacted their PR department with a few questions about the driving factors behind the various brand decisions. Find our questions and the responses with American's spokesperson(s) below:

1)  Why was the Double A logo that has graced the tail of Americans planes for more more than 30 years not used in the new scheme?

The stripes flying proudly on our tail are a bold symbol of our origin and our name, reflecting the spirit of modern America:  innovative, progressive, and open to the world. It is inspired by our proud heritage and by what we make possible as a company.

2)  What is the re-branding meant to communicate about the new American?

Our new logo and livery symbolize our passion for progress and the soaring spirit that is uniquely American. As one of a few truly iconic American brands, we take great care in updating our new look with great focus and respect to our name, American. Our new logo is a refreshing update to the core icon of our company – the eagle.  Our new eagle -- or Flight Symbol – represents the soaring spirit and passion of our people to always move forward.  Our new logo incorporates the symbols and colors people have come to associate with American Airlines – the eagle, the star, the “A,” and red, white and blue – yet it is contemporary and clean. 

3) How will the new branding be integrated into the in-flight experience at American?

The process of changing our look will take time.  Some digital updates – like the look of our self-service machines and AA.com – have already begun, and will conclude with final details right away. Others, like our airport signage and plane livery, will take longer, up to several years, given the size and reach of our network.

As we prepare for the first two 777-300ER aircraft to enter service in just a matter of weeks, customers will see those aircraft flying in the new livery. As we take delivery of new aircraft, update additional digital assets and begin updating our terminals, customers will start to see more and more of the new look.

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American Airlines launches a new livery and branding

by Vinay Bhaskara

Yesterday, Dallas-Fort Worth based American Airlines announced a major re-branding effort, including an all-new logo and livery which it unveiled on its new flagship Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. This new branding will be expanded across American's entire fleet over the next 3-5 years, as well as into airports and other corporate venues.

The full press release from American is displayed below along with several images:

FORT WORTH, Texas – It’s a new year and a fresh new look for American Airlines as the company today unveils a new logo and exterior for its planes, including the already delivered Flagship Boeing 777-300ER aircraft set to fly on Jan. 31.  In addition, American plans to continue taking delivery of new planes this year as part of its historic orders for 550 new aircraft.  The unveiling of the new logo and livery is the latest step forward in American’s ongoing journey toward building a more modern travel experience for its customers.

New American Airlines logo

“Since placing our landmark aircraft order in July of 2011, we’ve been building anticipation toward a moment in time when the outside of our aircraft reflects the progress we’ve made to modernize our airline on the inside,” said Tom Horton, American’s Chairman and CEO. “While we complete the evaluation of whether a merger can build on American’s strengths, we remain steadfast in each step we take to renew our airline, a step we take with great respect for our name American.  Today marks important progress in that journey as we unveil a new and updated look for the first time in more than 40 years.”

New American Tails and Fuselage

American is preparing to take delivery of hundreds of new, lighter aircraft featuring composite materials that must be painted.  Since the polished metal look was no longer an option, the importance of the paint selection became critical to honoring American’s silver bird legacy.  Silver mica paint was chosen as a way to maintain the silver heritage which American’s people and customers are passionate about, yet progress ahead with a clean new look.

“Our new logo and livery are designed to reflect the passion for progress and the soaring spirit, which is uniquely American,” said Virasb Vahidi, American’s Chief Commercial Officer.  “Our core colors -- red, white and blue – have been updated to reflect a more vibrant and welcoming spirit. The new tail, with stripes flying proudly, is a bold reflection of American’s origin and name. And our new flight symbol, an updated eagle, incorporates the many icons that people have come to associate with American, including the ‘A’ and the star.”

"A new take on the eagle"

Since entering the restructuring process, American has made a series of strategic investments designed to place customers at the center of all it does and give employees the tools, training and leading technologies they need to provide customers with a uniquely American experience, while also creating growth and opportunity for its people.

Today’s news is a reminder that while there are still significant decisions that need to be made about the future of the company, American remains focused on continuing the forward movement of the many investments that have been announced in the past year, including:

The new American livery on their flagship: Boeing 777-300ER

• Industry’s Most Modern Fleet: This year, American will take delivery of nearly 60 new aircraft, including the new Boeing 777-300ER which will enter into service on Jan. 31.  In July, American will begin taking delivery of Airbus aircraft made of lighter, more fuel efficient composite materials, which must be painted.  The airline continues investments to offer state-of-the-art inflight Wi-Fi, in-seat entertainment, universal AC power outlets at every seat, and Main Cabin Extra seating on all mainline aircraft. In addition, American has plans to offer fully lie-flat premium class seats on all of the airline’s widebody aircraft and transcontinental fleet.

• Expanded International Service: American strengthens its network this year with expanded service to more destinations worldwide, including more international and domestic routes from Dallas/Fort Worth, more European and domestic service from Chicago O’Hare, new service to Europe from New York, and new service from Miami to Latin America and the Caribbean.  This year, American also will begin the following international services: Dallas/Fort Worth ─ Seoul, South Korea; Dallas/Fort Worth ─ Lima, Peru; Dallas/Fort Worth – Bogota, Colombia; Chicago O’Hare ─ Dusseldorf, Germany; New York JFK ─ Dublin, Ireland; Miami – Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe; Miami – Fort-de-France, Martinique; Miami – Curitiba, Brazil; and Miami – Porto Alegre, Brazil. 

• Information in an Instant: The airline announced plans to supply flight attendants, pilots, and maintenance workers with their own tablet devices, designed to give them real-time information and better operational insights to do their job more efficiently. Beginning next month, employees will also be equipped with new technologies at the airport designed to make the travel experience easier and more convenient.

• Top-Notch Onboard Experience: Earlier this month, the airline rolled out new enhancements in premium class cabins on international routes, including elegant new china, more menu choices, and a more personalized service similar to a restaurant. In addition, American will expand the availability of Samsung Galaxy tablets for entertainment use in the premium cabins to more routes later this year.

American Eagle and the AAdvantage® program also will get a new look as of today.  The first American Eagle plane will fly the new livery beginning in February.  Updating the new look across American’s network is a long process and will be rolled out over time to the airline’s airports, interiors and exteriors of aircraft, new uniforms, products and services, and technology platforms like AA.com and the American mobile apps.

Expanding the new brand to in-flight service

American’s new look was created with input from our customers and our people, and in partnership with FutureBrand – a leading global brand consultancy.  In addition, American today launches a new advertising campaign designed to showcase the new look.  The advertising campaign was developed with agency partner McCann Worldgroup.
For more information on American’s new look, and to keep up with progress as the brand rollout continues, visit aa.com/newamerican.

As we said before, American will be repainting these aircraft over the next 3-5 years. Not all of the current planes in American's fleet will be getting the new livery. Both the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and Boeing 757 fleets are scheduled to be retired (at least in part) over that time-frame, so parts of those fleets could get the new livery, though American is still making decisions on that process. Meanwhile, the fleet of Boeing 767-200ERs, which are exclusively used on premium transcontinental services between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and JFK and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), will be phased out of the fleet between November 2013 and 2014, so they will not receive the new branding.

Public reaction, based on empirical observation of Twitter and the Web in general, is mixed towards American's new brand. The logo has gotten generally positive reviews, while the opinion on the livery skewed more negative, with a significant vocal group expressing dismay at the loss of iconic images like the eagle in the logo and the double "A"s on the tail. The old American livery has been around for more than 30 years, and it is one of the most recognizable liveries within the United States and around the globe.

Old American Airlines livery

My opinion is that I'll miss the old and iconic American Airlines livery but that it was time for a change. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that the current American Airlines branding was associated with a bankrupt and aging carrier. This new branding is bold and stylized, with a new take on the old American Airlines icons. Readers, what are your thoughts on the new brand for American?

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Video: American Airlines unveils new livery and branding. Go behind the scenes.

Dallas Fort Worth based American Airlines has unveiled a new livery and branding. In these two videos you can see a CGI simulation of the new livery on the airline's flagship Boeing 777-300ER.

Also go behind the scenes in a video on how the new branding and logos were created.




Share your thoughts via a comment.

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Video: Making of the Jet Airways' Disney themed 737-800 VT-JBC

Last week, Jet Airways unveiled a re-liveried Boeing 737-800 with a Disney theme. The aircraft is wrapped with images of Disney’s favourite cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto.

Here is a time lapse video showing the plane VT-JBC being transformed from its regular Jet Airways livery to the new Disney livery.

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