The entire Etihad Airways fleet of more than 100 aircraft will be painted in a new livery over the next three years.
The United Arab Emirates carrier unveiled the new look as its first Airbus A380 superjumbo was rolled-out of giant paint hangar at an Airbus facility in Hamburg.
The livery is inspired by traditional Emirati design patterns, the landscapes of the desert and the geometric shapes found in the modern architecture of Abu Dhabi.
Etihad’s first A380 will operate on flights between Abu Dhabi and Heathrow from December 27. The two subsequent deliveries of the A380 in early 2015 will also operate on the route, making it a triple daily A380 operation.
A380s will operate to Sydney and New York as Etihad Airways receives its fourth and fifth aircraft later in 2015.
The airline has 10 of the double-deck aircraft on firm order.
President and CEO James Hogan said: “Only a few months ago Etihad Airways unveiled the new cabin interiors for our A380 aircraft and we are now proud to show the world how this aircraft will look on the outside.
“The striking new livery also continues our commitment to breaking from convention and doing things differently. This is a real divergence from the norms of traditional airline livery design and will stand out in the sky and at every airport we fly to.”
Etihad will take delivery of seven wide-bodied aircraft in 2015 – four A380s and three Boeing 787-9s – and seven narrow-bodied aircraft – one A320 and six A321s.