Etihad Airways probably has one of the best and most striking aircraft livery designs in the skies today, but the Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s chief commercial officer, Arik De, has suggested that major changes could be on the way.
In an interview with aviation magazine Skift, De said that the airline would soon announce a “brand refresh” that would make Etihad “very much more modern” and reflect the ambitions of the airline and the United Arab Emirates, where it is based.
Etihad’s iconic livery and design language, which extend to aircraft interiors and marketing materials, date back to 2014, when the airline was at the height of an overly ambitious expansion plan that sought to position the carrier firmly in the luxury category.
The current livery is dubbed ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ and is meant to invoke the desert landscapes and sunsets of the region.
The livery and the brand design were the brainchild of then-CEO James Hogan, who was forced to step down just two years later after Etihad embarked on a failed equity investment strategy, buying up stakes in failing airlines that plunged the airline to a $1.95 billion USD loss in 2016.
When Etihad’s government backers brought in a new leadership team under the guidance of CEO Tony Douglas, the plan was to reposition Etihad as a more ‘inclusive’ rather than ‘exclusive’ airline. Douglas set about slashing costs and successfully returned Etihad to profitability.
During Douglas’ tenure, Etihad slightly altered its brand image, changing its tagline from the Hogan-era ‘Flying Reimagined’ slogan and making a push into wellness during the pandemic.
The livery, and wider brand image, however, remained constant during the Douglas years – although that could partly be down to the fact that a livery change is such an expensive undertaking and was definitely not part of Douglas’ strategy to get Etihad back into the black.
But now that Etihad is back in major growth mode under the leadership of Antonoaldo Neves, could a livery refresh be on the cards?
Neves recently announced that the airline would spend $7 billion within the next six years refurbishing older Boeing 777 aircraft that will need to stay in Etihad’s fleet for longer than expected due to new aircraft delivery delays.
Whether any of that money has also been earmarked for a major brand refresh is still to be confirmed.
Along with a possible new livery, Etihad is also setting the scene for a major expansion announcement. De says the carrier is expected to announce up to ten new routes at some point in November.
Nine of the destinations will be entirely new, while the last destination will be a resumption of a city that Etihad was forced to cut during its austerity years.
If a new livery is in the works, it could be first unveiled on Etihad’s new Airbus A321LR jets that are expected to be delivered from 2025. The aircraft will open up new routes for Etihad that wouldn’t be suitable for widebody aircraft but which would be out of reach for the airline’s older single-aisle aircraft.
