Flying Art: 8 of the most striking airline special liveries of 2025
November 14, 2025
With their special liveries, airlines turn aircraft into flying canvases and billboards. Some support sponsorships—from entertainment tie-ins to sports and tourism campaigns—and others celebrate the airline’s heritage. These flying works of art can take months of planning to deliver and hundreds of hours to produce.
Here are eight of the most striking special airline liveries introduced this year.
1. Air Canada – Zootopia 2 livery (A220)
This month, Air Canada unveiled a new special livery promoting Disney’s animated film Zootopia 2. The colourful characters from the film, painted on the Airbus A220 against a white background, create a fun and vibrant scene.
“This special livery is an exciting addition to our broader Disney relationship. It reminds us that travel, like storytelling, is about imagination, connection, and a little bit of magic,” said Andy Shibata, Vice President, Brand at Air Canada.
The Zootopia 2 Airbus A220 aircraft will operate a mix of Canadian and US routes, including Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, New York LaGuardia, Denver and Boston.
2. LATAM – Harry Potter themed aircraft & onboard campaign (787-9 and A320)
LATAM has introduced a year-long partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America to mark the 25th anniversary of the first Harry Potter film. Unveiled this month, the airline has painted a Boeing 787-9 and an A320 with a dedicated livery.
Not just a one-off livery, this is a full campaign embedding some magic into the passenger experience. The airline will offer themed onboard amenities on selected flights, including cabin visuals, collectible products, and catering inspired by the world of Harry Potter. The entire film series will also be available on LATAM Play, the airline’s in-flight connectivity and entertainment platform.
“Harry Potter is a story that has marked generations around the world. We are very excited to present this alliance, which transforms the flying experience into a unique and memorable journey for our customers. At LATAM, we aim to connect people not just with destinations, but also with the stories that inspire them,” said Paulo Miranda, Vice President of Customers at LATAM Airlines Group.
LATAM will also hold contests and interactive events at airports and on social media for Harry Potter fans, offering prizes including flights, themed experiences, and official merchandise.
3. Alaska Airlines – “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Flyer” Princess Tiana livery (Boeing 737)
In another film collaboration, this April, Alaska Airlines unveiled the latest in its Disneyland Resort-themed aircraft, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Flyer, featuring a colourful livery inspired by “The Princess and the Frog” and the upcoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction at Disneyland Park.
Artists spent over 2,000 hours painting the design on the airline’s Boeing 737-800. This elaborate livery features Louis the Alligator, water lilies and fireflies from nose to its tail. Mama Odie and Prince Naveen adorn the aircraft’s winglets.
“Every journey should be as magical as the destination, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Flyer brings that wonder to the skies in a way that perfectly complements our commitment to creating remarkable journeys. This aircraft captures Princess Tiana’s love for exploration and adventure, inspiring our guests to embrace new possibilities and create memories along the way,” said Eric Edge, Vice President of Brand and Marketing, Alaska Airlines.
4. Qatar Airways – F1 “Creative 100” special livery
Qatar Airways unveiled renderings of a new Formula 1 livery during Art Basel Paris this October, the first development of its Creative 100 partnership with Grammy Award-winning artist Swizz Beatz. This special edition Formula 1 livery marks the airline’s status as the racing events’ Global Airline Partner. The airline also announced that a new livery will be revealed at a later date to commemorate the airline’s partnership with the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said of the Creative 100 partnership: “At Qatar Airways, creativity fuels everything we do. As the World’s Best Airline, creativity shapes how we innovate, connect cultures, and reimagine the experience of travel. Our partnership with Swizz Beatz reflects that same spirit – a shared belief that creativity has the power to inspire, to unite, and to transform the way the world connects. Through the Qatar Airways Creative 100, we celebrate those whose ideas shape culture, bringing people together through creativity and artistry across borders.”
5. American Airlines – “Flagship” retro-style centennial livery (Boeing 777)
Ahead of its 100th anniversary next year, American Airlines unveiled a commemorative Flagship livery applied on a Boeing 777-300 registered as N735AT. The livery harkens to one of the airline’s original liveries with a modern twist and a luxurious interior.
“American has thoughtfully chosen a design that evokes our rich history while looking ahead to our next 100 years,” said Ron DeFeo, American’s Chief Communications Officer. “Throughout American’s history, ‘Flagship’ has always been recognised as our premium travel experience. Our renewed focus on the customer experience is making premium travel better than ever across all aspects of our customers’ travel journeys. Painting the original Flagship design on our Flagship aircraft is a powerful way to honour that legacy while embracing the future.”
6. SWISS – “Wanderlust” livery on first A350
SWISS decorated its long-anticipated first Airbus A350 with a unique “Wanderlust” collage celebrating its Swiss roots. It was designed by Swiss artist Frederic Siegel, whose style combines digital and hand-drawn animations with minimalist colour palettes.
The “Wanderlust” Airbus A350 HB-IFA is a flying art gallery that promotes Swiss tourism. It features motifs of famous buildings, landmarks and traditional Swiss sports and cultural events. This elaborate livery was not a paint job; it was applied to the fuselage with certified precision-cut films.
“Each of the motifs thus consists of multiple painstakingly-matched film elements, which collectively cover a total area of some 380 square meters,” the airline stated. “Airbus even developed a special procedure for the project that pays due and full regard to all the relevant safety, durability and aerodynamic requirements, while still maintaining all the livery’s artistic merit and appeal.”
7. airBaltic – 50th Airbus A220-300 special livery
This February, Latvian airline airBaltic unveiled its commemorative 50th Airbus A220-300 livery, painted at the Airbus facility in Mirabel, Canada. This aircraft features an artistic portrayal of the Latvian flag and design elements representing all three Baltic States – Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
The emotive livery depicts a girl soaring through the clouds, with long, flowing hair, crowned by a traditional wreath, and the Latvian flag. The design also incorporates elements of Baltic heritage and nature – a ladybug, a swallow, and a stork. It took the paint shop in Mirabel 18 days to complete the painting of this A220-300 livery, using 21 colours to bring the design to life. For the first time, the Airbus A220 paintshop teams used a stencil overlay technique to layer colours.
“airBaltic continues to lead the aviation industry in the Baltics, and with this rich culture in mind, we wanted the livery to reflect a glimpse of all the beauty the three Baltic nations have to offer,” said Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic. “Every time this aircraft will take to the skies, it will proudly carry a small part of the Baltic spirit with it.”
8. Brussels Airlines – “Atomium” Belgian Icon
This March, Brussels Airlines introduced a special livery dedicated to the renowned Belgian landmark “Atonium” by architect Thomas Faes. Painted on an Airbus A320 (OO-SNM), the “Atomium” livery joins other of the airline’s Belgian Icon liveries, each celebrating an element of Belgian art and culture.
“There are many parallels between an architectural project and the design of an aircraft livery. Both involve a series of stages to complete and constraints to consider. What stands out most to me in these last months, is the human journey behind it all. However, I will also always remember the first 3D simulation – that moment when you can truly say that it has the desired impact. Equally unforgettable is seeing the aircraft in real life, experiencing that magical transition from concept to reality. I am incredibly proud of the result, which blends elegance with modernity,” said Thomas Faes, designer of the Belgian Icon “Atomium” livery.
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Featured Image: Alaska Airlines
