Is the 737-800 on the left set up for American Airlines new livery? The one of the right is an older 737-800. Left Image: Malcolm Muir. Right Image: Drewski2112. [CLICK FOR LARGER]
We have seen American’s new 777-300ERs (77W) with a base paint, but we aren’t sure of the colors (I will go out on a limb and say that red and blue will survive). What the titles will look like or if we will still see the eagle is still anyone’s guess.
BONUS: Interior photos of AA’s 77W.
One questions has been if American will paint its entire fleet in the new design or if this is just a special one-off livery to celebrate the 777-300ER. Recently, Malcolm Muir, AirlineRepoter.com correspondent, caught a photo of a new American Boeing 737-800 and noticed a difference.
It might not be so obvious looking at the two 737’s above, but take a look at the winglets. The newest one (on the left), is lacking the AA.com on the winglet, which has been seen on all previous pre-painted 737s. Is this because it is set to get AA’s new design? Probably.
American Airlines third Boeing 777-300ER (N719AN) seen in Portland on January 8, 2013. Photo by Sabian404/Russell Hill.
It is highly expected that American’s new livery will debut on one of their Boeing 777-300ERs at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, but when? American took delivery of their first 77W over a month ago and it has been conducting demo/preparation flights for the airline (it was recently seen in Miami with mini-American titles). The first 777-300ER is scheduled to start service from DFW to Sao Paulo on January 31, 2013, which doesn’t leave much time for American to show off their new livery.
I highly doubt that they would fly the 77W on scheduled service in this half-livery and of course they want to get as much publicity off the new livery and their change in direction as possible. I expect that we should all have a date of unveiling rather soon — like by the end of the week. I would hope that unlike the delivery of their first 777-300ER, the new livery unveiling will not go quietly — stay tuned.
UPDATE: Tom Horton, the parent of American Airlines parent AMR, sent out a letter employees earlier today and in it stated, “With all of these changes, our company will very quickly begin to look and feel very different ’“ both inside and out. We will be sharing more information about the new look and feel very soon.” Notice how the “very” is italicized — American did that. It is coming soon. Very soon. (see the full letter)
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This story written by…David Parker Brown, Editor & Founder.
David started AirlineReporter.com 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.
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American Airline’s first Boeing 777-300ER (N717AN) is showing signs of their new livery. Photo by James Hackney.
American Airline’s first Boeing 777-300ER (N717AN) has shown up at Paine Field, and not many were expecting to see a gray body with a white tail. Where is the polished aluminum? Is this a special livery for the 300ER or is this American moving to a completely new design? It looks like that they are in the process of updating their livery.
“It’s no secret by now that AA will be taking delivery of new fleet types in the coming months/years, and that includes composite aircraft,”Andrea Huguely AA spokesperson told AirlineReporter.com. “Obviously those aircraft cannot be the polished aluminum that AA currently has, so additional paint will be inevitable.”
Based on the design on the 300ER, it doesn’t look like American is just looking to paint the aluminum areas gray, as they did with their original Airbus A300’s, but they are working towards a new design. On the 777, it doesn’t matter as much, but with the Boeing 787, the fuselage is not made out of aluminum, which is forcing American to re-think their design.
At this point the airline is not hinting what the new livery will look like, but it appears the tail will be white, with a gray fuselage (yes, I am that good at being an investigative journalist). I welcome the new livery with open arms, since I have not been a fan of American’s current livery, for quite sometime — but I know many of you disagree with me. American has already announced big changes with their future interiors and I am hoping their new livery will be equally impressive.
A possible mock-up of the new American Airline’s livery done by Anthony Harding.
UPDATED: Above is a mock up of what American’s new livery might look like done by Anthony Harding. From his website:
“I wanted to see if I could create an effective evolution of the current brand. I wanted a bold new look for American Airlines, one that looks classy, distinguished, and ultra-modern with highly geometric, sharp angles and a metallic feel that creates a sense of strength and security. I evolved the Scissor Eagle logo to a more abstract form. The new ’œEagle’ is not just an abstract eagle, but also an abstract representation of the American flag. The overall brand beyond the livery would take heavy influence from timeless Art Deco, Gothic and neo-Art Deco design which symbolizes American strength, freedom, and an overall classicism that distinguishes the brand from the competition.”
Sure, there are many potential designs that people have put up on the internet, but I have to say this is my favorite. Clean, crisp and with connections to the history of the airline.
A HUGE thanks to James Hackney (@jameshackney01) for taking the amazing 777-300ER photos of American’s 777-300ER at Paine Field and to Anthony Harding for letting me use his mock up.
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