Anthonyspider From Australia, joined May 2005, 15 posts, RR: 0 Posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 4078 times:
Haven't checked database but was wondering what the oldest liveries were going around? After all the QF vs. SIA stuff going around here in AUS i just wondered how old the SIA livery was? Out of the major airlines SIA would have to be one of the oldest i believe?
Kappel From Suriname, joined Jul 2005, 3533 posts, RR: 18 Reply 1, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 4074 times:
I think AA's is even older. I belive their current livery is from the 60's? But I'm sure my american friends know that better than me.
Iberia's livery has been around a while as well, as is Alitalia's, but I don't know the date of introduction.
Of course SIA's livery was modified slightly, the yellow becoming gold.
EurofleetLHR From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 101 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 4041 times:
I think that AA have the oldest livery - definitely intoduced in the 60's. Also Iberia - introduced in 1977. Indian Airlines don't seem to have changed at all over in 30 years or so, either !
Emrecan From Turkey, joined Feb 2000, 914 posts, RR: 8 Reply 4, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 4030 times:
TK has the same tail livery since 1967. I am not sure about the exact time but I have photo album of TK and there is a pic of DC7 having the same tail that TK using today.
In 1967 pic , the colour of the plane is same as today's retro A320 of TK.
GCDEG From Greece, joined Jan 2006, 352 posts, RR: 5 Reply 5, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 3963 times:
I think Olympic have one of the oldest liveries. Over the years there have only been slight variations like lighter/darker blues but the overall scheme has stayed the same.
Commavia From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 10225 posts, RR: 62 Reply 8, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 3867 times:
I believe AA's is still the oldest in continuous use, having been introduced in 1968 and having undergone no change at all since then.
CF-CPI From Canada, joined Nov 2000, 854 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 3760 times:
Quoting Nycfly75 (Reply 10): Dont forget Alitalia! Been around since the 70s I believe..Looked great then looks great now!
I agree, that one hit the jackpot. It's from 1969, and was done for the 747 introduction. It's a Landor design I believe and it's hard to imagine improving on it.
AA's present livery is from the same year, but (trivia bit) was never applied to the BAC 111, even though AA continued to fly them until 1972. Also, no 990s in that scheme either .
BCAL From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2004, 3384 posts, RR: 18 Reply 12, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 3743 times:
I remember reading in a recent Airliners or Airways magazine that Air India's livery is one of the oldest going around. It was changed somewhere along the line but then they reverted to the original livery.
These photos, taken nearly 40 years apart, show the similarities
Gearup380 From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 85 posts, RR: 3 Reply 14, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 3579 times:
Quoting GCDEG (Reply 5): I think Olympic have one of the oldest liveries. Over the years there have only been slight variations like lighter/darker blues but the overall scheme has stayed the same.
GCDEG From Greece, joined Jan 2006, 352 posts, RR: 5 Reply 15, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 3479 times:
Quoting Gearup380 (Reply 14): They just introduced a modernized paint scheme
You're right, never noticed that but I suppose it's still the same except they've taken the cheatline away. Don't know if that's any better but mind you with the financial difficulties they've got I don't suppose they can afford something totally different. Would love to see Olympic become the flag carrier Greece deserves.
SR100 From UK - England, joined Dec 2005, 109 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 3438 times:
Until recently, Ethopian's livery was the winner, having introduced it in the 50s. Since they have changed to the modernized all white livery, I assume AA is the winner.
Another long lasting contestant was Varig, but they also changed their livery and have modified it several times since.
There is a picture of an American B720 with the current livery from 1968 around, when they first applied the new - current - livery to an aircraft. For some reasons, just the eagle above the AA was missingon the tail.
In Europe, KLM and Alitalia were the first to introduce a new livery with the introduction of the B747 in 1970/71. Air France and Iberia were much later. KLM didn't have the all light blue top when they introduced the B747.
In my understanding, Olympic's livery changed many times, either the color from a very dark, almost black blue to the lighter blues, then they added and removed different colors.
If you look at the current retro A320 of Turkish Airlines, then the logo might be the same, but not the livery! This might be another threat, which are the longest lasting logos around - I guess Lufthansa...
Same with Air India. With the introduction of the B747 they went to this unique, maharaja palace inspired livery, which they wanted to change some years ago. They had a couple of aircrafts in the new livery already - acutally quite similar to the new Indian Airlines livery from the conceptional idea - but then they had to change it back to the current one.
Again, that would be another threat, who introduced a new livery and then got back to the old one? A few airlines did trials with new liveries, like Air Canada right now, or Lufthansa in the early 90s, or SAS in the early 80s...
0A340 From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 261 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 3330 times:
Quoting GCDEG (Reply 15): Quoting Gearup380 (Reply 14):
They just introduced a modernized paint scheme
You're right, never noticed that but I suppose it's still the same except they've taken the cheatline away.
This specific frame was once painted with the subsidiary's "Makedonian" livery.
There are a few more -leased- and two more (-C & -D) frames that were painted with the special Olympic Games livery, which lasted for about a year.
They are not part of any livery-reconsideration livery, just part of 'saving a few bucks' effort. Also, the B717's still carry the aviation livery (white tail etc)
I thought those regs reminded of something. I remember seeing them years ago in ATH in the Macedonian and the one in Olympic games colours. If i remember rightly the leased ones don't have any IFE at all and are slightly different inside to the rest of the OA 737s. Also they removed the "Aviation" titles from the 717s but you're right they do still carry the aviation livery.
OwlEye From Netherlands, joined Feb 2006, 908 posts, RR: 2 Reply 19, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 3114 times:
Quoting Martin21 (Reply 13): I remember reading in a recent Airliners or Airways magazine that Air India's livery is one of the oldest going around. It was changed somewhere along the line but then they reverted to the original livery.
Air India is in the middle of a re-branding process right now.
An airline which did not change livery since a very long time is Air Mauritius. The company was erected June 14, 1967 as an agent for foreign airline companies. Air Mauritius had its very first flight September 13, 1972 with a Piper Navajo (6 pax) to its sister island Rodrigues. I'm not sure if this Navajo had already the paint design which Air Mauritius still has today.
In 2005 I flew with Air Mauritius from Paris to Mauritius and the current aircraft paint design did not 'feel outdated'. The Air Mauritius aircraft paint design is a classic but 'still going strong' but I can imagine the airline could concider a re-vitalization sooner or later.
Lhrmaccoll From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days ago) and read 2523 times:
If you look at the delivery photos of some of the Air India 747s (early ones) and look at them as they are retired 20-30 years later, you question whether it has actually had more than 1 paint job...
Alex
FlySSC From France, joined Aug 2003, 7313 posts, RR: 60 Reply 22, posted (7 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 2202 times:
Quoting SR100 (Reply 16): In Europe, KLM and Alitalia were the first to introduce a new livery with the introduction of the B747 in 1970/71. Air France and Iberia were much later
Since it was in formed in October 1933, Air France changed its livery only once ! though minor adjustement were made all along its history.
The first "change" occured in the late 50's, when the top of the aircraft, previously bare metal, were painted in white :
The only biggest change occured in January 1976, when Air France introduced a complete new livery with the inauguration of the first commercial Concorde Flight. The first aircraft to operate a commercial flight with this new livery was Concorde F-BVFA on January 21st 1976, AF085 CDG-DKR-GIG.
Sponsor Message: 
From Australia, joined May 2005, 15 posts, 
From Suriname, joined Jul 2005, 3533 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 101 posts, 
From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 8435 posts, 
From Turkey, joined Feb 2000, 914 posts, 
From Greece, joined Jan 2006, 352 posts, 
From Northern Mariana Islands, joined Jul 2004, 582 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 10225 posts, 
From Mexico, joined May 2004, 307 posts, 
From Italy, joined Aug 2005, 748 posts, 
From Canada, joined Nov 2000, 854 posts, 
.
From Netherlands, joined Aug 2001, 346 posts, 
From UK - England, joined Dec 2005, 109 posts, 
From India, joined Dec 2004, 1029 posts, 
From France, joined Aug 2003, 7313 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
