Cathay Pacific’s Liveries Through the Years

Cathay Pacific is one of the world’s great airlines.

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in the Hong Kong region, which has switched various times between Chinese and British rule, this airline has grown into a great aviation power and, despite struggles in recent years, still has a global reach.

Over the years Cathay Pacific has gone from its pioneering piston airliner days, throught the early jet age, and into the age of jumbo jets and more recently twin-widebody types like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

Throughout its almost 80 years in existence, Cathay Pacific has reinvented itself and its branding a number of times, and below we look at some of the liveries worn by its aircraft over the years.

Which is your favourite? Leave a comment at the bottom!

Original Livery

Shown here on a preserved Douglas DC-3 outside Hong Kong airport, the original scheme was of grey, white and red, and very different to the green schemes associated with Cathay Pacific in later years.

Photo (c) Erik Ritterbach

1964-1972

In 1964 Cathay Pacific introduced the first iteration of its famous stripes of white and ‘Brunswick Green’. At the time, the airline had introduced its first jet aircraft, in the form of the Boeing 707 and Convair 880.

Initially the scheme featured red and white stripes on either side of the main green fuselage stripe. However, this was later removed in favour of solid green.

1972-1994

Photo (c) Martyn Cartledge

From 1972, the livery was modified slightly to include white stripes either side of the main green fuselage cheatline.

1994-2015

Creative Commons (c) Aero Icarus

In 1994 Cathay Pacific introduced the so-called Brushwing livery, which departed from the familiar green and white stripes and brought about a modern, lighter scheme.

On the tail an image of a bird in flight was added, with the fuselage mostly composed of a thick grey/blue cheatline and only a few areas of dark green and red.

2015-Present

Photo (c) Erik Ritterbach

In 2015 the present Cathay Pacific livery was introduced.

The Brushwing bird logo was retained on the tail, and the blue/grey fuselage cheatline was moved underneath the windows.

The titles were changed, and any hint of red removed.

Special Schemes

Over the years Cathay Pacific has painted some of its aircraft in special schemes.

Most common recently are the airline in the Oneworld Alliance liveries.

However, this Boeing 747-400, and later a 777-300ER, wore the ‘Asia’s world city’ scheme to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Photo (c) Martyn Cartledge

Lost Airline Colours of Asia

Martyn Cartledge has documented many of the former airlines and liveries of Asia in his book, Lost Airline Colours of Asia. It’s a trip down memory lane for aviation enthusiasts, with many long forgotten names, and plenty of current carriers but looking completely different.

With histories of many of the airlines, this full colour book is a great addition to your bookshelf.

Order Here