Aerial photo of Etihad Airways’ first 787-9 at Paine Field – Photo: Bernie Leighton
Here we have the fourth installment of showing off the beautiful Boeing 787 Dreamliner liveries that have been seen at Paine Field and around the world. There have now been 42 different liveries. Last update was from July 2013 and we have seen quite a few new ones since then.
Let me know in the comments: Which 787 livery is your favorite? Your least favorite?
Azerbaijan Airlines’ 787 landing at Paine Field – Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgre | @photoJDL
Virgin Atlantic’s first 787 seen from the air at Paine Field – Photo: Bernie Leighton
Scoot’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in a very yellow livery – Photo: Scoot
Avianca’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner N780AV – Photo: Kris Hull
Thai Airways 787 at Paine Field, HS-TQA – Photo: Kris Hull
Xiamen Airlines’ 787 at Paine Field – Photo: Bernie Leighton
From the air: Royal Jordian Airlines’ first 787 at KPAE – Photo: Bernie Leighton
Royal Brunei 787-8 Dreamliner, V8-DLC – Photo: Kris Hull
The Mexican Air Force’s 787 which used to be ZA006 – Photo: Karadion
Jetstar’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Paine Field – Photo: Bernie Leighton
![Image and information from Boeing... AMSTERDAM, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Arke today celebrated the arrival of the airline's first 787-8 Dreamliner at the Dutch carrier's base at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The airplane departed Paine Field in Everett, Wash. on Wednesday on its delivery flight to the Netherlands. Arke is part of TUI Travel PLC, the largest tourism group in the world. "The 787 Dreamliner is an excellent fit for our Dutch operations and we are delighted to be the first carrier in the Netherlands to offer this product as part of our unique holiday experiences," said Elie Bruyninckx, CEO TUI Netherlands. "Passengers travelling on Arke's 787 will appreciate the airplane's spacious interior, bigger windows and will arrive at their destination felling refreshed, making it the perfect start to any holiday." The 787 is the world's most technologically advanced airplane with composite materials making up 50 percent of the primary structure, including the fuselage and wing. In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to midsize airplanes, the 787 will provide Arke with unmatched fuel efficiency, using 20 percent less fuel than today's similarly sized airplanes. "We are delighted that Arke, an all-Boeing operator, now has its first 787 and in the process becomes the first Dutch carrier to operate this revolutionary airplane," said Todd Nelp, vice president of European Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "TUI Netherlands is a leading player in the Dutch holiday market and the Dreamliner will play a key role in setting in apart from its competition by providing an unrivalled passenger experience." Arke will use the 787 on its service between Amsterdam and the islands of Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean. The airplane is the first of three Dreamliners to join the carrier's all-Boeing fleet that also includes Next-Generation 737s and 767-300ERs (Extended Range). TUI Travel has ordered a total of 15 787-8s, of which six have been delivered and are currently in operation with three of the six airlines it operates; Thomson Airways, Jetairfly and now Arke.](https://www.airlinereporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/787-8-BRI-182-ZA334_K66136-640x512.jpg)
Arke Boeing 787 Dreamliner – Photo: Boeing
Air Canada’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner arriving to YYZ to a water cannon salute – Photo: Philip Debski
American Airlines’ first Boeing 787-8 being towed at Paine Field – Photo: American Airlines
Air New Zealand’s first Boeing 787-9 at the delivery center – Photo: Bernie Leighton
Air New Zealand 787 in white livery, ZK-NZF – Photo: Kris Hull
Kenya Airways’ first Boeing 787 Dreamliner seen at Paine Field – Photo: Bernie Leighton
![Image: Bernie Leighton. Press Release: Boeing SEATTLE, Feb. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] Business Jets (BBJ) celebrated the first two BBJ 787-8 deliveries of 2014. The deliveries, made over the past week to separate undisclosed customers, mark the second and third BBJ 787 airplanes delivered to date. "It's terrific to see two BBJ 787s deliver within a week," said Capt. Steve Taylor, president, Boeing Business Jets. "The BBJ 787 joins the BBJ family, a full line of the most capable airplanes in the VIP market. The 787's combination of phenomenal range, high cruise speed, low cabin altitude, big windows and ultra-quiet cabin make the 787 ideal for BBJ customers." As awe-inspiring as its commercial counterpart, the BBJ 787 takes advantage of technological advances such as lightweight composite structures and a cabin environment designed for new heights in passenger comfort. It also features increased head room, cleaner air, enormous cargo space and breakthrough fuel efficiency. The BBJ 787-8 has a range of about 9,260 nautical miles (17,150 km). "2014 will be a very exciting year for BBJ with many major milestones to celebrate," Taylor said. "In addition to the deliveries of three more BBJ 787-8s, the first BBJ 747-8 we delivered last year will enter into service with its completed custom interior later in the year." The first BBJ 787-8 was delivered in December 2013. To date, customers have ordered 13 BBJ 787s, with deliveries occuring through 2018. Boeing Business Jets delivers the airplanes to customers unpainted and without an interior. A completion center of the customer's choosing installs the jet's VIP interior. Boeing Business Jets offers a wide variety of ultra-large-cabin, long-range airplanes perfectly suited for the private jet market. The product line includes the BBJ, BBJ 2 and BBJ 3 ’“ high-performance derivatives of the commercially successful Next-Generation 737 airplane family and the new 737 MAX family ’“ as well as Boeing twin-aisle airplanes including the 747-8, 767, 777 and 787. More than 400 Boeing airplanes are in service in the VIP market.](https://www.airlinereporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/787BBJ-640x387.jpg)
The first Boeing 787 Business Jet (BBJ) – Photo: Bernie Leighton
Boeing 787 Dreamliner BBJ seen in a livery for the UAE – Photo: Bernie Leighton.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner at the Farnborough International Airshow – Photo: Boeing
Hainan Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Paine Field – Photo: Moonm
Aeromexico’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Paine Field – Photo: moonm
Thomson Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Paine Field – Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
Norwegian Air’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner – Photo: Norwegian Air
Bristish Airways G-ZBJF – Photo: Kris Hull
A Boeing 787 (L/N 86) painted in LOT livery takes off from Paine Field on April 5th, 2013 – Photo: Boeing
LAN’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner next to the Future of Flight – Photo: David Parker Brown
A China Southern Boeing 787 Dreamliner with special livery lands at Paine Field – Photo: Michael O’Leary
A China Southern Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the airline’s standard livery – Photo: David Parker Brown
United’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner (N20904) seen at Paine Field in early August 2012
An Air India Boeing 787 at Paine Field – Photo: flyingAmelia
Ethiopian’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner is delivered in Aug 2012 – Photo: Boeing
Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner seen at Farnborough in July 2012 – Photo: David Parker Brown
Japan Airlines (JAL) Boeing 787 Dreamliner taken in March 2012 at Paine Field
JAL’s old livery on the 787 Dreamliner – Photo: Boeing
ANA’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to be delivered seen at Paine Field
ANA’s modified Dreamliner livery with the “787” on the side – Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
ANA’s standard livery on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner – Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
Royal Air Maroc Dreamliner at Paine Field – Photo: David Parker Brown
This is ZA003 (N787BX) with a modified “Dreamliner livery.” Check the tail compared to below. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
The original 787 – ZA001 – Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
ZA004 with Dreamliner “light” livery, which saved time, money, and weight, compared to the full “Dreamliner livery” – Photo: Brandon Farris
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This story written by… David Parker Brown, Editor-in-Chief & Founder. David started AirlineReporter in the summer of 2008, but has had a passion for aviation since he was a kid. Born and raised in the Seattle area (where he is currently based) has surely had an influence and he couldn’t imagine living anywhere else in the world.@ARdpb | Flickr | YouTube |
Not many great photos of it yet, but the Mexican Air Force has theirs now too.
Knew I was going to miss one. Now getting permission to use a photo of that bad boy might be a little difficult…
David
Had RBA kept their original livery, this would not be a contest. However, they decided to go with bland/boring. I have always loved the RJA livery, probably because it is so different from the normal white or off-white. Also, the new Etihad livery has something that is really great and enticing.
But who would have thunk it: Somebody at United sat down and made something really nice with their normal livery and managed to put it on the Dreamliner perfectly…
Agreed. Would have loved to seen the old Royal Brunei Airlines’ livery on the 787!
David, AirlineReporter
i find American and British 787 looks nice.
I would have preferred a little more creativity with American and United. I’m loving Air New Zealand!!
I like the Azerbaijan Airlines livery the best. Probably the worst are the JAL and Royal Air Maroc, bland white with the airline name on it
Boeing paint manager: “Hey, who put antifreeze in this vat of white paint?”
Air Canada: “We’ll take it!”
China Southern, Hainan, Etihad and Scoot have my vote as having the best liveries. A future operator, Oman Air may join this list? Frankly, the 787 looks STUNNING in any livery! When will we see 787s in Star Alliance, Skyteam or One World colors / schemes?!
Some readers may be unaware of this 787 spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AtfsHdXQ5rl9dFp4b1hETmNQNzN0b2dSUlRNWEFOOVE&chrome=false&gid=2
Give it a look – I think you’ll like what you see.
Is it possible for any livery to look bad on a 787? The curves of the plane can really pull off any livery.
What an amazing collection. Some are new or refreshed, some are a bit stale (representing stale airlines) but all a coverings for a truly wonderful airplane. One could say Lipstick on a Pig, but that should read, “Lipstick on a Very Beautiful Pig.” Truth told, the wonderful girl is still a few points short of what the designed had hoped for; the straight-line manufacturing and assembly processes are not as good as they should be, but… The 787s existing both assembly lines are the best new airplanes in the industry. Boeing has made a huge investment in the 787, literally risking the company, as they did with the 707; it will take a while to achieve the proper profit and payback, but… Boeing has done it again. Was it really an gamble? I think not so much. Boeing saw the need for a leaner, lighter airframe with long legs and realized that they had the on-house talent to design and build it. The risk was greater than with the 707 and the design challenges greater than “Uncle Joe’s” 747, but they did it. That Other Company may have some mostly excellent Flying Computers, but well-trained pilots beg for Boeing airframes. Again, 42 editions of “Lipstick on a Very Beautiful Pig.” Any doubts? Ask a pilot who has flown multiple types from both builders. Pilots love Boeing and Systems Operators rely on the other brand to cover their deficient skills. Thanks for the great “Lipstick” collection, David.
I know during development, there was quite a bit of importance on making an airplane that looked sexy. Hence why with the first design we ended up with the shark-fin tail!
https://www.airlinereporter.com/?attachment_id=32838
David, AirlineReporter
I personally love the Virgin Atlantic livery. The tone of red used goes really well with white. This makes the 787 look particularly special.
What is it with Virgin (worldwide)? For all the pizzazz of Branson they have the lamest (but I will admit clean) livery… boring. In Perth they are repainting the local Skywest Fokker 100s they took over last year with Virgin livery, just boring, boring, boring,
Are the Royal Air Maroc and China Southern planes carrying fugitives? Or is the black band over the windows some kind of protection?
The “shwish” (sorry, my word) line (over the wing) that the factory Boeing models have is great, I notice that some airlines have followed suit. IMHO that is a great look.
And of course the all black Air New Zealand that flies to Perth daily is seriously eye catching.
P A, the RAMs and China Southern 787s were in storage when they were photographed. You may recall that Boeing continued producing 787s during the 2+ years of ongoing technical issues / faults BEFORE the 787 was permitted to fly / test and eventually certified for service. I do a Spotting Trip out to Seattle every Summer … and have seen MANY 787s bearing ” black bands over the windows “. They were scattered around Paine Field; including the Tower Ramp, Runway 11 / 29 and Kilo North Ramp. If fact, this past August, I, again, saw 9 or 10 787s still languishing on Skid Row ( aka 11 / 29 ); which are ” Terrible Teens ” 787s. I even saw a one of the prototype 789s in storage! It was stored on 11 / 29, as well. View this image of her:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Boeing/Boeing-787-9-Dreamliner/2517591/L/&sid=ac299ad96f566e010b87b694685b6908
The black band, shaded cockpit, sealed engines and doors are measures used by Boeing when they place 787s in storage. Boeing does the SAME to 747-8s in storage.
The Kiwi’s All-Black livery is stunning. For sure, there isn’t anything else like it around.
Well, except ANZ’s 777s in the same livery :). But yes, out size of Air New Zealand, it is hard to beat!
https://www.airlinereporter.com/2012/01/photos-air-new-zealands-all-blacks-boeing-777-300er-takes-flight/
David, AirlineReporter
My 787 photos are up at https://www.flickr.com/photos/avgeekjoe/sets/72157631640594020/ BTW. Help yourselves but please cite :-).
I like the TUI group (Thomson / Arke) livery – it echos the Boeing look and I think sets the right tone for a vacation airline
My favorite has to be the Air NZ all black. It is stunning just stunning
Totally in agreement!
My Most Favorite Liveries of the 787 are China Southern Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad, Norwegian and Scoot….
i like the 787 liveries of new zealand, kenyan air.
favourite is southern China special, worst is the regular southern China
The best livery has to be the Air New Zealand B787-9 ZK-ZKE! It looks just as awesome close up and personal! Followed by Jetstar B787-8!
ANZ all black is #1 in my book. Not a fan of either the Mexican AF or the UAE livery.
The Norwegian Air Shutlle livery looks best. Every aircraft in their fleet is unique as the tail paint is a portrait of a Norwegian legend. The picure doesnt’t do it justice,as the back of The plane is not visible.
I have to agree that the Norwegian Air Shuttle is by far the most innovative and best. With each aircraft separated by a unique tail art work. The photo doesn’t do justice, why picking a photo where you can’t see the full livery? The least favorfite is Air new Zealand. Sad and black and Air Canada, bland
Out of these i like the Air new Zealand the best 😀
The new japan airlines livery looks unfinished!
at-least they brought back the crane logo 🙂
The late 60’s early 70’s British overseas airways corporation(boac)livery is my fravorate for a 787.
The nose of the 787 looks similar to the VC-10
http://photos.plane-mad.com/42/large/42301.jpg
That gold speedbird would be amazing on a 787 😀
http://www.vc10.net/Memories/Images/Rome_VC10.jpg
I like the Kenya Airways. it looks more heritage and original
Well seems I ‘fell’ upon this page after the DC10 one and had to go through the pix a few times as I seem to be seeing with different eyes as I personally loved Royal Jordian Airlines” first 787 at KPAE and British Airways livery myself. When I was at Heathrow I saw a gold BA and watched it take off but can’t find about it on the www. Also I like Boeing’s on livery! Oh well just shows we are all different not only to look at but in choice! There are 61 different ones on http://www.newairplane.com/787/#/customers/ but BA still doesn’t show it’s Gold one. Would love to have a photo of it as my phone didn’t take a very good one on the day. Anyone know if there’s one on www? Thanks!
Hi, im fred wIlde i am boeing 787 fan my faV livery has tO be SCoot airlines thax