Qantas Updates Livery And Kangaroo Logo

By Kate Webster

Qantas has lifted the lid on its updated livery and kangaroo logo, which coincides with its intention to introduce the Boeing 787 into service late next year.

The airline said the new livery is the fifth to be introduced since the kangaroo’s first appearance on Qantas in 1944, and the first refresh since 2007.

The new design was overseen by industrial designer Marc Newson in partnership with Australian design agency Houston Group.

“This new brand is more streamlined and the shading behind the kangaroo gives a better sense of movement and depth. A silver band now extends from the tail to the rear of the fuselage, to give a more premium feel,” Newson said in a statement.

“The typography for the word Qantas, which measures almost two metres high on the 787, has been carefully streamlined. And Qantas will appear on the aircraft’s belly, so you can tell when it’s the national carrier flying overhead.”

In another link to the airline’s heritage, the classic winged kangaroo that appeared on tails across three decades will feature under the cockpit window and incorporate the individual name of each aircraft.

“A fresh brand helps symbolise the new era Qantas is entering as we head towards our centenary. It’s an era of new destinations, new technology and a new standard of service,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce added.

“Since the image of a kangaroo first appeared on a Qantas aircraft more than 80 years ago, it’s come to represent the spirit of Australia. When passengers see the Qantas tail at airports around the world, it’s a symbol of home.

“We wanted to make sure our brand remained familiar but we also wanted it to be more modern and dynamic, like the 787 and like Qantas.

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“When we looked at the history, we found that the logo has been updated around the time of a game-changing new aircraft joining the fleet. It’s a tradition that goes back to the Lockheed Constellation in 1947, the B747-300 in 1984 and the A380 in 2007.”

The first aircraft to be repainted in the new livery, A330-300 VH-QPJ, was unveiled to media and guests at Qantas’s Jet Base at Sydney Airport on Thursday morning, where the airline also shared details on its 787-9 cabin configuration.

The new design will slowly be integrated across the entire Qantas network, starting with digital assets, signage and advertising, with all the paint jobs to be wrapped up in time for the airline’s centenary in 2020.

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Per Qantas, here are the new brand features:

A streamlined Kangaroo on the tail of the aircraft, with shading to give it a sense of depth and movement. The Kangaroo itself has been simplified for a cleaner, more modern look.
A silver band has been added to the rear of the aircraft, flowing from the tail through to the rear of the fuselage for a more premium feel and more contrast between the red tail and the rest of the aircraft.
A new, slimmer font for the world ‘Qantas’ on the side of the aircraft and the colour made slightly lighter.
The word Qantas is added to the belly for increased visibility when aircraft are flying overhead.
Adding the Kangaroo to the inside curved edge of the wingtips so that they are in-flight and meaning they will also appear in pictures people take out the aircraft windows.
Replacing, centring and enlarging the Kangaroo that appears on outboard engine cowls, so that it is more prominent and identifiable.
Re-introducing the iconic ‘winged Kangaroo’ that featured on Qantas tails in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s by placing it under the cockpit window and integrating it with the aircraft name currently in this position (note: the actual aircraft names are unchanged).
The classic ‘Qantas red’ and white of the fuselage are unchanged.

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