United Unveils New Aircraft Livery

United Airlines has released its latest branding update, moving away from the gold it inherited from its Continental merger to three shades of blue.

The new aircraft livery was unveiled on a Boeing 737-800 at the airline’s Chicago O’Hare base in a presentation to press and employees.

United said the changes feature three blues, Rhapsody Blue and Sky Blue in addition to the existing United Blue. The new blue branding is used throughout the design “in a way that pays respect to United's heritage while bringing a more modern energy,” the airline said.

The globe tail logo remains from the Continental Airlines livery, but is now presented in a gradient featuring the three shades of blue, with the logo predominantly in Sky Blue.

The engines and wingtips are painted in the airline’s traditional United Blue, and the body now features a Rhapsody Blue swoop that first appeared on the carrier’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet.

The United logo on the aircraft body is now larger and bolder than before, set against a white background. The lower half of the body is be painted in Runway Gray.

United’s chief executive Oscar Munoz said of the new design “Each improvement we've added to our service advances our evolution as an airline, furthering our effort to elevate and redefine customer service in the sky.”

He said the new design, and especially the tail globe, “enhances the very best of United's image and values while pointing in the direction of where we intend to go next in serving our customers.”

The new palette also reflects that of the airline’s new uniforms that are being introduced over the coming months to its over 70,000 employees.

United said its aircraft get new paint jobs every seven years or so, with the first aircraft painted with the new design appearing throughout the year.