Etihad Airways unveils 20th anniversary livery

Design has been applied to one of the six new planes to recently join airline's growing fleet

The special livery features line art showcasing Abu Dhabi symbols. Photo: Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways has unveiled a bespoke livery to celebrate 20 years as the UAE's national carrier.

The minimalist design features line art depicting symbols and landmarks that pertain to its home base, Abu Dhabi. It complements the airline's standard livery, which features a golden beige colour scheme. The tail is designed with triangles and trapezoids in various shades of gold, beige and brown.

“The livery marks our 20th year of delivering remarkable service, fulfilling our mission to deliver extraordinary experiences inspired by our Emirati identity,” says chief executive Antonoaldo Neves.

“It reflects the journey we have been on, and it also sets the tone for our future as we give flight to our ambition, to be the airline that everyone wants to fly.”

The design – which includes outlines of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, an Arabian horse and Zayed International Airport – is wrapped around both sides of the fuselage in Arabic and English. It has been applied to one of the six Airbus A321neos recently added to Etihad's fleet. The chosen aircraft will be used across several routes, including services to India and the Middle East.

The new A321neos come as Etihad continues to boost its growing network and frequency. More than 20 new aeroplanes are expected to be added to its fleet by next year.

“With constrained aircraft deliveries worldwide, this fleet is an important bridge for our growth plans,” says John Wright, the airline's chief operations and guest officer.

Notable Etihad liveries

The airline is known for unveiling liveries to commemorate important milestones. Last year, it showcased a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that featured Mission: Impossible branding on its engines.

Hollywood actor Tom Cruise unveiled the plane, which was used by the film's cast and crew as they toured around the world to promote Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. The film featured scenes shot in Abu Dhabi.

In 2019, the airline showcased a livery to celebrate its partnership with Manchester City Football Club.

In June last year, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flew the club's players from Istanbul to their home city after winning the UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan.

When four UAE athletes competed in the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi in 2019, Etihad marked the event with a branded aircraft featuring portraits of swimmer Omar Al Shami, runner Hamda Alhosani and bowlers Saleh Almarri and Mariam Al Hosani.

Other special designs launched in the past include a Formula One livery, as well as a Year of Zayed design on an Airbus A380, both in 2018.