Taking art to Airlines are requesting more custom liveries, and Boeing paint teams love the challenge By Dawsalee Griffin After more than a year of planning, a 737 rolled into the Renton, Wash., paint hangar last fall to begin a metamorphosis that would test the skill and patience of two dozen Boeing airplane painters. The airplane was factory-fresh, or “green,” its unpainted aluminum body wrapped in protective coating. In five days it would sport a unique paint job based on a revered artwork that hangs in the National Gallery of Australia. The special livery for this Qantas 737, which the airline has named Mendoowoorrji, was created by Balarinji Design Studio, which based the image on the late West Australian Aboriginal artist Paddy Bedford’s 2005 painting “Medicine Pocket.” Qantas, Australia’s national carrier, calls it “a flying tribute to the world’s oldest continuing culture.” “It not only reflects our rich history as a country,” said Alan Joyce, Qantas CEO. “It highlights the opportunities we have to promote our indigenous culture to the Australian public and our international visitors.” While custom liveries aren’t new, the Renton site saw an up-tick in 2013, according to Commercial Airplanes paint managers. “We typically do six to 10 special liveries a year. In 2013, we did 14,” said Carl Holtmann, Paint senior manager for the 737 program. The Everett site also does custom liveries, but it does not break them out in its records; they are lumped into a broader category of paint jobs that take more than four days to complete. Airlines generally commission special paint jobs as part of their brand strategy, using them to communicate around topics of interest in their markets, said Fariba Alamdari, vice president of Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Custom liveries celebrate milestones, national history, sporting events, new routes and even movie premieres, she said. For example, Air China painted a 737 with Beijing Olympics mascots to signal its role as official airline of the 2008 games. Air New Zealand’s fleet includes several all-black air- 42 Frontiers February 2014 PHOTOS: (Insets, clockwise from bottom left) Boeing painters Eric Klug, from left, team leader Steve Hoye and Anthony Kakalecik examine a 737 paint test panel; teams from Boeing, Qantas and Balarinji Design Studio meet before painting begins; plans for a special livery. JIM ANDERSON/BOEING Air New Zealand’s “All Black” 777 commemorates the airline’s partnership with the country’s rugby team. AIR NEW ZEALAND (Far right) Mendoowoorrji, a Qantas 737 in livery inspired by the Aboriginal painting “Medicine Pocket,” takes off from Boeing Field in Seattle. JIM ANDERSON/BOEING
Frontiers February 2014 Issue
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