Cathay Pacific Unveils Their New Livery!

Cathay Pacific is a storied brand. They’re renowned for quality. I certainly believe they have one of the better first and business class products. I enjoy their service (though it is unobtrusive – rather than effusive – in style). Their seats are excellent. I do not always think their food is very good, though at least in premium cabins it is fine.

I find their logo distinctive, and regardless of what you think of the current design it’s intertwined with the carrier and evokes positive images as a result.

Cathay Pacific is refreshing their logo, and painting their planes. I believe only one Boeing 777-300ER has been painted so far.

They’ve created a video to showcase the new livery and the thinking behind it.

Very few people initially react well to an airline’s rebranding efforts. And I don’t love this one, it feels like a genericized take on their current logo. Others will find the efforts elegant. And some may simply think that the airline’s paint job is far less important than its product and their tinkering with elite status qualification.

(HT: World Airline News)

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Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. I don’t mind this change. Not as drastic as some like AA’a hideous new tail. I feel that as long as you don’t screw it up like that it doesn’t matter much. I would only ever be truly disappointed if Qantas changed its tail.

  2. BORING! Why waste the money changing anything! First, to remove the red color from a “Chinese” carrier is really stupid. Red to the Chinese means good luck. Now, the livery is monotone. Green on white, that’s really only one color. Dumb idea!

  3. Very clean new look, but certainly not unique, and not a paint job that distinguishes it from the rest. I agree with the fellow who said the plane needs a touch of red somewhere along the fuselage.

  4. Meaningless design drivel trying to justify a huge fee to redesign something that’s unimportant.

  5. Agree about the absence of red, but glad they at least did not go completely white on the fuselage! That would have been terrible. The font could be larger, but the tail remains iconic. Stylish enough.

  6. Interesting they placed the Swire brand logo/flag instead of Hong Kong SAR flag on the plane. But overall, I thought it’s a nice clean up of the livery that’s congruent with the modernization of the branding.

  7. Another bland, uninspiring rebrand.

    One thing is minimalism. Another completely different is just paint an airplane in monochromatic white, write the name of your airline in a very average font somewhere in the front, and call it your livery.

    And the worst: they paid someone (and probably very well) to make such work.

    Bad. 🙁

  8. @ JohnB – I see the quote marks, but Cathay is IN NO WAY Chinese. It is Hong Kongese. Being a Hong Konger, obviously it’s an ongoing conflict, but when it comes to airspace we’re CERTAINLY not Chinese… 😉

    I agree with JohnB about the absence of red though. I like the minimalism, but I understand why most don’t.

  9. @Alvin,

    So sorry! Cathay is, in no way, a Chinese airline. Never meant that. I was referring to cultural heritage. I think it was terrible that Margaret Thatcher gave back Hong Kong without a fight, for its having true freedom. Don’t give up on democracy!

    Two color designs are just too drab. The red was the accent color and now that’s gone.

  10. I think C. P need to look at cleaning the PAX area I flew this year in may and feb and found the aircraft dirty not cleaned during 1.5 hours stop in ADL & HK where it was parked at gate 31 for 3.5 hours . This for a company that is one of the ? top carriers in Asia very disappointed and will not fly on CP again service from CEB to HK food was like wok in a box and very bland .

  11. A “NEW” design that so many of today’s airlines have adopted. White body, name on the side, and a design on the tail. Rather nondescript. Not much in identity these days. Certainly not like the identity of the 70’s such as United’s “Friendship,” Continental’s red, orange, and gold, or Cathay’s green with striped tail. It doesn’t take much talent to just paint an aircraft fuselage white, does it?

  12. Through my eyes, the design seems to recognize 1/2 its potential however changes appear to be certainly heading in the right direction via the simplification approach. But why the jumbo pale blue cheatline? Ties to the past? Seems to be a boardroom compromise. IMO, the pale blue could have been eliminated and a full two tone approach used. The effort on logo and name are to be applauded.

  13. I see no one else commenting about the gray cheat line running the length of the plane. I think this nicely breaks up the all white scheme and provides a pleasing visual. As new liveries go, imo, this one is among the best.

  14. LOGO & PAINT is good but service and clean cabin plus food is what makes a pleasant flight they are a long way behind SINGAPORE AIRLINES & QANTAS sorry

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