Recently in New/special livery Category

Singapore Airlines' (SIA) long-haul, low-cost subsidiary, Scoot, has unveiled its aircraft painted in full livery.

The airline, which will operate ex-SIA Boeing 777-200s, is in final stages to prepare for its inaugural flight on 4 June to Sydney, followed by Gold Coast on 12 June.

Scoot will also operate services to Tianjin and Bangkok in the coming months.

Images courtesy of Scoot Pte Ltd

Japan Airlines (JAL) will deploy a specially painted aircraft on selected domestic routes to show its support for the country's sportsmen and sportswomen, who will be participating in this year's summer Olympics.

A Boeing 777-200, registered JA772J, will feature the official slogan of the Japanese Olympic Committee - "Gambare! Nippon!" ("Go for it! Japan!"). The face of Yohei Ucimura, a two-time Olympic silver medallist for gymnastics, will be on the aircraft, alongside the logos JAL and the committee's official sports club partner, Konami Sports and Life.

The aircraft will be used on flights from Tokyo's Haneda airport to Sapporo, Fukuoka, Okinawa and Osaka from 27 May till September 2012.

Credit goes to Japan Airlines.

A Beech 1900D operated by its subsidiary Eagle Air is the latest aircraft in Air New Zealand's fleet to be painted all-black.

Singapore Airlines' (SIA) new long-haul low-cost carrier Scoot will launch services by the first half of 2012.

Taiwanese carrier Far Eastern Air Transport, known as FAT, has resumed flights after a nearly three year hiatus. The carrier now sports a new livery that features wing-like swooshes on the rear of the fuselage. Here are before and after photos taken by AirSpace user commercial aviation.

Old:

Our ubiquitous Asian airport spotter Negrerie Manuel ("commercial aviation" on our photo sharing site AirSpace) has snapped these photos of an All Nippon Airways Boeing 767 carrying the airline's "Forward together as one Japan" phrase as part of a special livery announced earlier this month to mark respect of the lives lost and damage occurred from the earthquake and tsunami that struck the nation, and efforts to re-build. 

Japan's All Nippon Airways has launched a modest special livery commemorating the island nation's efforts to recover from last month's earthquake and resulting tsunami.

The livery carries the phrase "Forward together as one Japan". In front of Japan is a red dot representing the sun; Japan is referred to as the land of the rising sun. (The red dot is also featured on the wing of Japanese-registered aircraft, as well as more familiar places like the country's flag.)

The phrase does not explicitly reference the earthquake and tsunami, but there is no questioning its connotation. It could be said the phrase exemplifies Japan's characteristics of oneness, stoicism, and deference.

Japanese carriers are known for their playful if eccentric special liveries (Pokemon, anyone?) and special livery newcomer Air Do does not disappoint with its plans to paint a Boeing 737 in this cuddly livery. The aircraft, nicknamed Bear-Do, is due to enter service 27 March, Airline Route says.

(Image: Air Do)

For those of you who bemoan the loss of classic airliners liveries, here is one you no longer have to miss.

JAL says from 1 April it will bring back its tsurumaru livery, which depicts a red-crown crane with its wings fully extended, which JAL says is "an auspicious icon of Japan representing the high spirits of the Japanese people and their sensitive attention to detail".

The first aircraft to sport the old-cum-new livery will be a Boeing 767-300ER used on international flights. The carrier has released a mock up of what the livery will look like on its 777-200 aircraft. All of the airline's corporate items, except staff uniforms, will be updated over the coming years.

The livery change marks the carrier's enormous and, at times, embattled transition and re-structure. By dropping its current "Arc of the Sun" livery, introduced in 2002, and bringing back the old tsurumaru, JAL hopes to bring back the old--and better--days of the company's storied history.

"Japan Airlines started out as a pioneer and ventured on a path where no other company in Japan explored," JAL Group President Masaru Onishi candidly says.

"Today, we firmly resolve to recapture the unity and challenging spirit that our employees possessed at the time of JAL's founding, and together, we will propel the company forward over the hurdles that lie ahead to again stand at the forefront of this ever-evolving industry," Masaru says undoubtedly in reference to JAL's disenfranchised employees, many of whom have had salaries and pensions cut and seen colleagues leave.

"We hereby renew our commitment to provide our valued customers with the highest levels of service, and to diligently raise our corporate value so that the JAL Group can once again contribute to the advancement of society."

The tsurumaru was first registered as a trademark in August 1959 and was the carrier's livery for over 40 years until Landor's 2002 re-branding wrought by JAL and Japan Air System merging. The logo even survived a 1986 PR campaign to rouse support for the carrier after a major crash the previous year.