Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is proud to present 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.
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Air Canada this week offered a first look at a special aircraft livery honoring Canadian athletes participating in the upcoming Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The livery has been applied to an Airbus A330 and features images of Team Canada’s athletes, specifically those who have partnered with Air Canada as “athlete ambassadors.” This group includes para-alpine skier Alexis Guimond, ice hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin, freestyle skier Mikaël Kingsbury, wheelchair curler Ina Forrest, speed skater William Dandjinou, freestyle skier Cassie Sharpe, para-ice hockey player Tyler McGregor, and para-alpine skier Mollie Jepsen.
The aircraft’s first flight with the new design took place on Thursday, when it departed Montreal and arrived in Milan, one of two Italian cities co-hosting the winter games.
Air Canada will transport more than 750 athletes and delegation members to and from Italy.
“This special livery is more than a design – it’s a tribute to the strength, resilience, and heart of the athletes representing Team Canada,” Andy Shibata, vice president of brand at Air Canada, said in a news release. “Our partnership with the [Canadian Olympic Committee] and [the Canadian Paralympic Committee] reflects our shared commitment to excellence and to celebrating the power of sport that unites our nation. Bringing Canada’s Olympians and Paralympians to compete on the world’s greatest sporting stage is a point of pride for all of us at Air Canada.”
The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in February. The Paralympics will take place at the same locations in March.
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