In the midst of the all the hullabaloo associated with the official rollout of the Airbus A380, a new livery for the Airbus aircraft family was unveiled on 18 January 2005, with the first public presentation of the company's new flagship, the A380.

Airbus' previous rainbow motif livery had been in place since the introduction of the A310. With Airbus now established as a market leader and with the entry into service of its double-deck A380 next year, the company is acknowledging a turning point in its history. The rationale behind the change is to begin a new era of air transport with a livery that reflects the company's current positioning as well as its ambitions for the future. As such, the new livery bears witness to a successful past but, just as importantly, affirms Airbus' aspiration to pursue this great human adventure well into the future.

The new livery builds on the former motif and the well-known logo - which remains unchanged - to offer a more modern representation of the Airbus brand, underscoring the company's values of creative flair, technological prowess, relationship building and team spirit. The crossing lines, in different shades of blue, grey and white, suggest the meeting of different people, cultures and expertise that have been the cornerstone of the company's success. While cementing these core values and building on its successful legacy, Airbus hereby proclaims its commitment to furthering excellence in the air transport industry.

The livery will be gradually introduced across the entire Airbus fleet over the next few years.

FMI: www.airbus.com