New Sibir (Siberia Airlines) livery unveiled

Folowing on from previous news stories, I managed to find the new Sibir livery – very impressive it is too!

“Sibir Airlines Launch Makeover Campaign

MOCSCOW – The nation’s fastest-growing airline wants its passengers – and planes – to lighten up.

Sibir, the Novosibirsk division of Aeroflot in communist times, plans to shed its Soviet image with a re-branding campaign that will turn its conservatively painted fleet of jets into a flying canvas of colors and silhouettes.

The company will replace its traditional livery – a single, blue stripe over a white background – with bright and dark greens, bright red balls and silhouettes of people appearing very much at ease.

The wings will stay white underneath, and the name Sibir will be painted on the side in cherry red. Next to the airline’s name and on the tailfin, S7, Sibir’s international flight code, will appear inside a circle that is also cherry red.

“There is so much drab and gray in the country and we would like to bring people a sensation of celebrating,” one company executive said in a recent interview.

He said the silhouette concept in particular is a unique touch that will help Sibir distinguish itself. “It will reflect our strategy where we see people, the passengers, as being at the centre of our attention,” he said. “You will be able to recognize us straight away… some 30 percent of the planes at Domodedovo airport belong to us.”

Inside, the seats will be purple up front and bright blue in the back. The color concept, which still needs final approval from Sibir’s board, was developed by Landor Associates, a London-based company that won a tender last year to run the re-branding campaign.

The Sibir executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the company is even thinking about changing its name after the transitional period is over and passengers get used to the new look.

The transformation of the company began in 1998, when a new management team, headed by Vladislav Filyov, a former officer of the Strategic Missile Force, was appointed to run the company. Filyov has since groomed what was a mid-level regional carrier into the largest operator of domestic flights in the country, and No. 2 overall behind Aeroflot.

Aeroflot has also been busy crafting a new image for itself. Last year, the airline swapped its traditional white and blue color scheme for orange, metallic silver and dark blue. (Orange was chosen to “spark images of sunrises, golden domes, golden autumn and poetry;” metallic silver was chosen to represent “modern times;” and dark blue was picked to “convey professionalism.”)

Aeroflot also toyed briefly with the idea of abandoning its decades-old hammer-and-sickle logo.

“Re-branding is a natural step,” said Aeroflot deputy general director Lev Koshlyakov. “Airlines are trying to get a new face and reflect it in a new visual image. [But] it has more to do with the quality of the product and service – it’s not just about repainting the aircraft,” he said.”

St Petersburg Times