Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is excited to launch our ‘Livery of the Week’ series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result.
Have an idea for a livery that we should highlight? Drop us a line.
Sun Country Airlines, the Minneapolis-based budget carrier synonymous with leisure destinations, boasts a colorful history reflected in its ever-evolving aircraft livery designs. From bold beginnings to employee-driven contemporary hues, each livery tells a story of an evolving brand identity.
Early Designs
Sun Country’s inaugural flight in 1983 took off with a striking orange, red, and white scheme, featuring an abstract sun and chunky lettering. This eye-catching, if not somewhat unconventional design gave way to a more streamlined iteration later.
Seeking a more sophisticated image, Sun Country shifted to a revised livery in 1996. Much of the same color scheme remained, but the stripes along the fuselage intercepted the text. The airline’s new logo – representing a sundial – was also placed on the tail.
Bold and Blue
While rolling out its new 737 fleet, Sun Country unveiled a bold new livery in 2001. The colorful design featured watermark-like text along the fuselage with dark blue hues. Although the new livery was a major shift from previous designs, the orange stripe still remained along the fuselage.
A Low-Cost Pivot
In 2018, as the carrier was transitioning to a low-cost carrier model, Sun Country embarked on a rather unique approach, seeking employee input to choose their next livery. The winning design features a vibrant blue base accented by orange stripes and a stylized sun logo. The tail section incorporates contours inspired by Minnesota’s Lake Minnetonka, a nod to the airline’s hub.
Dubbed the ‘Tide Pod’ livery, the design adorns most aircraft in the carrier’s all-Boeing 737 fleet.
Looking for a new airplane model? Head over to our friends at the Midwest Model Store for a wide selection of airlines and liveries.
