Qatar Airways has joined a host of other airlines in celebrating an anniversary with a large slice of nostalgia.
The airline has kitted out one of its Boeing 777 aircraft with a retro livery to mark 25 years of operation.
It made its debut operating as Flight QR 41 from Hamad International Airport, Doha, to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and is set to be used on other routes during the rest of the year.
The retro move follows on from Saudi Arabia's airline Saudia marking 75 years last year.
Saudia also gave a Boeing 777 the retro treatment with a 1972 livery complete with a "75 years" logo.
In 2019, British Airways celebrated its centenary with four different retro liveries.
The first retro livery was a British Overseas Airways Corporation design, which was used from 1964 to 1974. It then rolled out a Landor design adorned by the British Airways fleet from 1984-1997, and took to the skies on a Boeing 747. The final one involved repainting an Airbus A319 in the British European Airways livery which was originally used between 1959 and 1968. The fourth was a Boeing 747 in Negus livery, which graced the flee between 1973 and 1984.
Retro liveries have been used by many other airlines in past years, not least by the likes of Lufthansa to mark 60 years in 2016, KLM to mark 80 years in 2009 and Air France to mark 75 years in 2008.
In the UAE, Etihad Airways and Emirates have created many special-edition designs to spread important messages and mark occasions, such as the Year of Zayed or to encourage support for wildlife.
Emirates and Etihad A380 special liveries: 12 of the best
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13 of the best A380 liveries: Emirates' the Museum of the Future livery. Photo: Emirates -
Emirates flew this Expo 2020 liveried plane all over the world, which became a favourite of plane spotters who shared images on social media. Photo: Emirates -
The Cricket World Cup liveried Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates -
The space livery on the Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates -
The Emirates special livery in support of United for Wildlife, a global collaboration that unites the efforts of the world's leading wildlife charities in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade. Wam -
An Emirates A380 with Expo 2020 livery flying over Jumeirah Beach and Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, on October 13, 2021. EPA -
Etihad Airways' first Airbus A380 with the Facets of Dhabi livery. Lee Hoagland / The National -
The emerald green Expo 2020 sustainability livery on an Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates -
The Rugby World Cup special livery on Emirates' A380. Courtesy Emirates -
Emirates' 100th A380 with its special Year of Zayed livery. Emmanuel Samoglou / The National -
An Etihad A380 with Year of Zayed livery. Courtesy Etihad Airways -
Emirates' new livery seen here on an A380 superjumbo celebrating the UAE's golden anniversary. -
Real Madrid flying into Abu Dhabi on a special livery A380. Courtesy Emirates
