On April 24th, 2019, United Airlines announced to the world that they would be changing their existing livery to a new, modernized livery. Oscar Munoz, United CEO, said that day “…as we improve and elevate our customers experience, we are changing the way people think and feel about United, and this branding captures that new spirit.”
United wished to maintain their heritage blue and navy, while giving itself a fresh, revitalized image. As United said it best, “Out with the gold, in with the blue!”
IAC work side-by-side with United’s Managing Directors, engineers and with one of IAC’s preferred paint manufacturers Akzo Nobel, to solidify the following changes for the new “Sky Blue” livery:
“Connecting people, Uniting the world,” painted near the nose of the aircraft- Updating the “swoop” from the Dreamliner fleet in Rhapsody Blue to be included on the entire fleet
- Larger United wordmark on the fuselage
- Engines are painted in United Blue
- Winglets painted solid United Blue
- Belly of aircraft painted in Runway Gray
- Tail is a gradient of Rhapsody Blue, United Blue and Sky Blue & a larger globe logo is painted mainly in Sky Blue
- IAC applied the three new colors on the first prototype B737-800
- Rhapsody Blue
- United Blue
- Sky Blue
IAC expertly applied Akzo Nobel’s Aerodur 3001 Basecoat/Clearcoat coating systems, that bring a more ‘modern energy’ to United visual identity as said best by Dave Patterson, IAC’s Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing, “We’ve been partners with United since we were contracted in 2010 to repaint 631 aircraft in the livery we are now changing. We look forward to our continued partnership with United and to be a part of the transformation of the more than 1300 aircraft and we are proud to call United not only our partners but our friends.”