German airline Condor has unveiled all-new liveries for its planes, and they’re certainly what you’d call “eye-catching.”
The airline, which specializes in the holiday market, says the candy stripe colors are used to conjure up images of “umbrellas, bath towels and beach chairs”.
Five colors are used at the initial launch – yellow, red, blue, green and beige, and each represents a different aspect of vacation: sun (yellow), passion (red), sea (blue), island (green) and beach ( beige).
Condor CEO Ralf Teckentrup said the airline plans to repaint up to 80% of its current fleet by 2024.
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“Condor has undergone a transformation over the past two and a half years: from a subsidiary of a vertically integrated travel group to an independent airline that proudly looks back on its history and tradition, while heading down the of the future. “said Teckentrup.
“We want to express this unequivocally through our corporate identity: Condor is vacation and Condor is unmistakable – like our new design, with which we are now launching into the future.”
Condor currently has a fleet of 51 aircraft, with orders for 16 new Airbus A330-900s and two Airbus A330-200s.
CONDOR
Condor’s new liveries are designed to reflect the holiday spirit.
Soon, the new looks will be used throughout the Condor travel experience, from booking sites to boarding passes and crew uniforms.
The new look has divided opinion.
Writing for the aviation site One mile at a timeBen Schlappig called it “so ridiculous I love it”.
Others on social media weren’t as nice.
“What a bizarre, distinctive but totally inconsistent livery choice,” wrote one commenter on Twitter.
“To be honest, one of the worst liveries I’ve ever seen,” another commented.
Some wondered if it was an April Fool’s Day joke.
Other unusual liveries
Of course, Condor is not alone in creating unique liveries for its aircraft.
Airlines around the world have taken care of decals and paint jobs to make their planes stand out. Here are some examples of “ready to use” ideas.
123RF
All Nippon Airways has dressed its three A380 superjumbos in special liveries representing sea turtles.
All Japanese airlines
The Japanese carrier has three A380s on its Narita-Honolulu route, and each has a special colored livery.
Called “Flying Honu”, the design is based on a sea turtle that is sacred to many in Hawaii.
Airbus
All Nippon Airways A380s are normally operated on the Narita-Honolulu leisure route.
kulula
Bringing a sense of humor to paint jobs, South African low-cost company Kulula has come up with some standout pieces.
One is called “Flying 101”, with several arrows pointing to parts of the plane, like the captain (aka the Big Cheese), to the passengers (the coolest homies in the world).
The design was “to demystify air travel and explain some of the unknowns around air travel and flight.”
kulula
South African low-cost airline, Kulula, has taken a very descriptive approach to some of its liveries.
kulula
The South African airline called it “Flying 101”, and said the design was “to demystify air travel and explain some of the unknowns around air travel and flight”.
The airline also painted a Boeing 737-800 with the words “This Way Up”.
kulula
Staying with Kulula, another unique paint job on a Boeing 737-800.
To kiss
The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer is good at painting animals on some of its jets.
To celebrate Air Astana of Kazakhstan’s purchase of its 190-E2 jet, the airline painted the country’s official symbol, a snow leopard, on the front.
MARINA LYSTSEVA/TASS/GETTY
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has created a series of animal liveries. This 190-E2 aircraft shows a snow leopard muzzle on the nose of the fuselage and was created for the Kazakh airline Air Astana.
The aircraft manufacturer also decorated another jet with a shark on the front, calling it “Profit Hunter”.
VCG VIA GETTY
An Embraer SA E190-E2 passenger plane with a shark’s face painted on its nose cone.
Beluga XL
The Airbus plane is already a must-see, but a simple lick of paint adds to the “flying whale” illusion.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Sometimes you don’t need to go all out with the decals to produce an eye-catching livery, like the Airbus Beluga XL.
Eva air
Combining kitsch and an iconic character, Eva Air has embraced Hello Kitty with a range of specially created liveries.
COMMONS MNXANL//WIKIMEDIA
EVA Air took the iconic Hello Kitty brand into the air.
Shimin Gu/Wikimedia Commons
Eva Air offers a range of liveries for Hello Kitty.
British Airways
Not all liveries have to be flashy to evoke emotions, some are used to bring back memories of aviation of yesteryear.
An example of this is British Airways, which, on the occasion of its centenary, transformed one of its Boeing 747s in the colors of its predecessor British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).
Ian Gavan
Some liveries recall the history of an airline. This British Airways Boeing 747 has been painted in the livery of the airline’s predecessor, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), to mark British Airways’ centenary.
Qantas
Blending art with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, Qantas has produced a number of eye-catching liveries as part of its Flying Art series.
One such creation was Wunala Dreaming, which “is inspired by the natural colors of Australia, from the vivid reds of Central Australia to the purple blues of desert mountain ranges and the lush greens of Kakadu”.
QANTAS
Qantas called this livery on its Boeing 747 “Wunala Dreaming”.
Air New Zealand
Our own national carrier isn’t afraid to tweak its fleet a bit either.
Over the years, Air New Zealand has offered a range of models, from the 1999 Rugby World Cup celebration to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series.
Thing
Air New Zealand got into the spirit of Lord of the Rings with a paint job on a 747-400.
Edwin Leong/Wikimedia Commons
And did it again for The Hobbit.