Cathay Pacific celebrates 80 years of flying with special retro ‘lettuce leaf sandwich’ liveried aircraft
January 6, 2026
The arrival of 2026 marked the start of celebrations for Cathay Pacific’s 80th anniversary year. Along with a plethora of special events to be held throughout the year, the Hong Kong-based carrier has also revealed the first of two aircraft to wear a special commemorative livery to mark the occasion.
The aircraft, an Airbus A350-900 carrying registration B-LRJ, has entered service sporting the airline’s classic ‘lettuce leaf sandwich’ livery of the 1970s and 1980s. The aircraft will be followed in wearing the retro livery by a Cathay Cargo Boeing 747 freighter, which is currently being repainted and will be revealed in the coming weeks.
2026 marks 80 years of Cathay Pacific
At a special commemorative event held at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) on the morning of 6 January, Cathay Pacific officially kicked off its 80th anniversary celebrations, marking eight decades since operating its first flight in 1946.
The airline said at the event that it would be hosting a series of special events, initiatives and activations throughout 2026, which will all be presented under a common theme of “80 Years Together”. As a prelude to its ‘80 Years Together’ celebrations, Cathay unveiled the special aircraft livery on one of its long-haul Airbus A350-900 passenger aircraft.
Resplendent in the carrier’s iconic ‘lettuce leaf sandwich’ colour scheme, the aircraft arrived fresh from Xiamen in China, where it had received its new livery before setting off on its first scheduled passenger flight with the new colours to San Francisco as CX870.
The historic retro livery features a bold green cheatline along the window line, starting broad across the nose and narrowing towards the aircraft’s rear. The airline’s name is written in all-red capital letters above the forward window line, while the classic green and white ‘lettuce leaf sandwich’ design appears on the tail.
The Union Flag (of the UK) that previously featured at the top of the tail is gone (for obvious reasons) and has been replaced by a small Swire Group logo on the forward fuselage. There is also a special commemorative 80th anniversary decal on the rear fuselage, also in green. The livery featured across the entire Cathay Pacific fleet from 1971 until 1994,
According to a Cathay Pacific Statement, “the livery pays homage to the much-loved green-and-white striped paint scheme, echoing Cathay’s storied legacy while symbolising its continued growth and progress.” A second ‘lettuce leaf sandwich’ livery, to be presented on one of Cathay’s Boeing 747 freighters, will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Other 80th anniversary celebrations
In addition to introducing the retro livery on two of its aircraft, the airline has announced that Cathay Pacific cabin crews will wear vintage uniforms through various design eras in 2026, to “pay tribute to the generations of people who have defined the signature Cathay service in the skies.”
Throughout 2026, around 1,000 to 2,000 of Cathay’s cabin crew and ground employees will showcase these vintage uniforms at work, “bringing the evolution of the Cathay brand to life in true Cathay fashion.”
Additionally, Cathay Pacific customers can expect to see a specially curated collection of merchandise inspired by the special liveries and iconic designs from different eras in Cathay’s storied history. “The collection reimagines these elements across aviation, travel and everyday lifestyle essentials,” said the airline.
Cathay Pacific has bold ambitions for 2026
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Cathay Group’s CEO Ronald Lam said, “Today marks not just an important milestone for Cathay, but a celebration of our ‘80 Years Together’ with Hong Kong.
“Guided by our purpose to move people forward in life, Cathay and Hong Kong have grown together over the past eight decades, supporting each other through thick and thin.”
“From Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok, whether it’s studying abroad, conducting business, exploring the world, reuniting with family, or delivering vital supplies at critical moments, Cathay has always stood with the people of Hong Kong through countless shared journeys and memories,” Lam added.
Lam continued by stating that Cathay Pacific would be pressing ahead in 2026 with its plan to invest over HK$100 million into the carrier’s fleet, cabin products, lounges and digital innovation strategies. He also reconfirmed the airline’s commitment to Hong Kong and to keep building the territory’s status as a leading international aviation hub as well as a global financial powerhouse.
More Cathay to come in 2026
As Cathay Pacific embarks on its 80th anniversary year, the airline has announced that it will be revealing further announcements and developments throughout 2026 as the carrier marks 80 years of flying.
This will include the continuation of a major growth strategy that saw 20 new destinations launched by the company in 2025, with more new destinations to be announced in 2026. A new direct route from Hong Kong to Seattle has already been announced, which will commence services in March.
As reported by The Standard newspaper in Hong Kong, Lam added at the press conference that Cathay Pacific performed strongly during the Christmas and New Year holidays, while bookings for the Lunar New Year holiday are also looking promising.
Regarding Air China’s reduction of its stake in Cathay Pacific by approximately 1.6% to 27.1%, which helped realise HK$1.32 billion, Lam said he understands it to be a tactical move and stressed that “Air China will remain our long-term, strategic shareholder.”
Featured image: Cathay Pacific
