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What Are Airline Liveries and Why Study Them?

© John L. Hoh, Jr.

Welcome to a new topic here at Suite 101, Airline Liveries and Histories. You may wonder, "why airline liveries?" Well, I have been an avid jet watcher for years, going to the airport to watch takeoffs and landings. Friends who would go with me tended to fall in two groups-those that tried to decipher not only the make of each jet (i.e., Boeing 747) but also the series (i.e., Boeing 747-200). Others of us were content to distinguish the DC-10's from the 727's. We were fascinated by the colorful markings on each jet, often looking at schedules to see where the jet might be going.

September 11, 2001, has certainly made our hobby harder to pursue.

But airlines have taken on some peculiar markings and distinctive logos over the years. What began as a matter of preservation (the paint prevents corrosion) evolved into making an "air bus" a traveling billboard. Usually the airline placed its own logos and markings on its fleet of jets. But soon airlines found the sides of its planes to be excellent sources of income as billboards. Southwest is known for its "Simpsons" and "Shamu the Whale" markings. Even web addresses have found their way onto the planes!

Why would an airline go through all this trouble to decorate its craft? First, there is the simple fact of preservation. The paint prevents corrosion and leads to a longer life for the airplane. Second, just as any other business, an airline has an image to present to the public. That image is just as appropriate on the planes as it is on uniforms, stationary, business cards, even utensils used on board. Sometimes an image change means a change in livery and colors on aircraft. This forum will look at the example of Continental Airlines which changed its image with new colors and logo and saw its stock rise.

And think of the size of a jet. Whenever you board an aircraft, you see the logos and markings. When you see a jet take-off or land, you see the logo. When you see the jets in TV and print ads, you see the logos.

Simply put, an airline livery is what is used to distinguish one airline's fleet from another airline's fleet. This includes colors, markings, logos, slogans, and even individual names given to jets. When a jet changes hands, it changes paint like one would change a coat-literally. Hundreds of pounds of paint are applied to each jet. To add another coat would be to add unnecessary weight. Thus the jet is stripped of its old paint and is then applied with a new coat of paint, logos, markings, registration, flags, and names.

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