Summary
- Airlines celebrate global events like Eurovision with themed liveries like Vueling’s Airbus A320neo.
- Austrian Airlines also marked Eurovision by painting the Airbus A320 with a “Building Bridges” livery.
- Corendon featured a Eurovision sticker on the Boeing 737-800 in 2021 with a more subtle homage.
Airlines often mark significant global events by adorning and painting their aircraft with themed liveries. For instance, Delta Air Lines recently rolled out its fresh Airbus A350 featuring a “Team USA” themed livery to celebrate the upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.
Some airlines have similarly celebrated the Eurovision Song Contest, this year taking place in Malmö, Sweden. Here are the most notable Eurovision-themed aircraft liveries from over the years.
Vueling’s Eurovision-themed Airbus A320neo
In 2022, Vueling Airlines was named the official carrier of the Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Turin, Italy. The Spanish low-cost carrier unveiled its Eurovision-themed Airbus A320neo aircraft, registered as EC-NDC, to celebrate the occasion.
The Airbus A320neo was adorned with a livery featuring a fresh paint design and musical notes along the fuselage of the plane. The musical notes and microphones were painted on a lively background featuring light blue, yellow, and purple colors.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Vueling’s A320neo was delivered in 2019 and painted in the Eurovision livery in 2022, as per Planespotters.net data. It is worth noting that this aircraft has been sporting this special livery for almost a year until February 2023. Right now, the aircraft has returned to its standard Vueling livery.
Austrian’s Airbus A320 Eurovision livery
Austrian Airlines joins Vueling as it also celebrated the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, held in Vienna, Austria, by painting one of its Airbus A320 aircraft with a special livery.
Austrian opted for a more modest livery than the IAG low-cost carrier. Austrian’s Eurovision-themed livery featured the slogan “Building Bridges” on the A320’s fuselage, along with a dark background adorned with red and orange dots, complemented by the official Eurovision Song Contest logo of 2015.
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According to Planespotters.net data, the airline’s A320 jet, registered as OE-LBS, was rolled out of the paint shop in March 2015 and sported a Eurovision-themed livery until October 2016. It is worth noting that this aircraft was delivered to Austrian Airlines in 2000 and is still an active member of Austrian’s fleet.
Corendon’s Boeing 737 Eurovision sticker
In 2021, the official Eurovision airline (or rather, for 2020, which turned into 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Corendon Dutch Airlines, opted for a more subtle homage to the song competition.
Rather than painting a full livery, the Dutch leisure carrier threw on a sticker on one of its Boeing 737-800s, registered as PH-CDE, showcasing the official Eurovision Song Contest logo.
According to Planespotters.net data, the Boeing 737-800 is no longer a part of Corendon’s registration. The Romanian airline HelloJets leased the 15-year-old Boeing 737 in April 2024 and re-registered the aircraft as YR-HLB. According to a report by ESC Extra, the branded aircraft was also adorned to celebrate the five Dutch winners of the ESC: Corry Brokken, Teddy Scholten, Lenny Kuhr, Teach In, and Duncan Laurence.
This year, easyJet is the official airline for the Eurovision Song Contest, taking place in Malmo, Sweden, with the grand final scheduled for May 11, 2024. In addition, the British low-cost carrier will remain the official airline for the ESC until 2026.
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The importance of special liveries
Special and promotional aircraft liveries are applied for many reasons. Examples of special liveries could include events (like Eurovision), sponsorship agreements (for example, Emirates’ A380 livery featuring the Real Madrid football team), historical celebrations, and the acknowledgment of significant anniversaries and milestones.
Given the significance of branding and marketing in the airline industry, airlines often strive to highlight specific associations with certain events. This strategy aims to engage passengers, create memorable experiences, and spark discussions among travelers. Through certain associations, passengers may feel connected to the airline or the event the airline is promoting, further encouraging brand loyalty.
One of the most recent and widely discussed liveries was introduced by Condor in 2022. The airline unveiled vertical stripes resembling a beach towel running along the entire fuselage, attracting positive and negative attention.
The global aircraft paint industry
It is worth noting that aircraft painting is a costly and strictly regulated area of work within the aviation industry. In 2020, the global commercial aviation aircraft paint market was worth $18.4 billion and is estimated to grow at a rate of 19%, reaching a market size of $65.8 billion by 2027, according to a study published in Research and Markets.
The primary reason aircraft painting is costly is using expensive paint types: epoxy and enamel. These paints are essential for ensuring the aircraft can withstand harsh weather conditions, temperature variations, flexing, and chemical exposure, among other factors.
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What are your thoughts on these lively liveries? Have you ever seen one of these Eurovision-themed aircraft? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.