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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Aer Lingus’ standard livery is centered on the shamrock, a symbol that has represented the Irish carrier for more than 80 years. Although the airline has changed its aircraft appearance several times, the three-leaf emblem remains the most recognizable feature of its fleet.
The current design was unveiled on Jan. 17, 2019, during a ceremony at Dublin Airport. It marked Aer Lingus’ first major aircraft rebranding in more than two decades, replacing the predominantly green-and-white scheme introduced in the 1990s.
The redesign retained the shamrock but introduced a revised version with a slight tilt and more pronounced heart-shaped leaves. According to Aer Lingus, the changes were intended to represent movement and the airline’s Irish heritage while giving the logo a more contemporary appearance.
The most noticeable change was the shift away from the green upper fuselage used on the previous livery. The updated scheme features a predominantly white aircraft with a teal vertical stabilizer and engines. Large teal “Aer Lingus” titles appear along the forward fuselage.
The shamrock appears in several locations beyond the tail. Aer Lingus incorporated the emblem into the airline’s wordmark, near the aircraft’s boarding door and on the wingtips. The airline specifically positioned the wingtip design to make it visible to passengers looking out from the cabin.
The aircraft’s lower fuselage also received a teal treatment, making the color visible from below. The combination of white and teal replaced the darker green that had dominated much of the airline’s branding for decades.
Aer Lingus worked with global design consultancy Lippincott on the rebranding. The airline considered more than 50 shamrock designs before selecting the final version. The updated identity also included a new typeface, redesigned digital platforms and changes to other customer-facing materials.
Two aircraft were presented in the new colors during the January 2019 unveiling: an Airbus A330-300 named St Munchin and an A320 named St Schira. The A330 made its first scheduled flight in the updated livery the following day, operating from Dublin to New York.
Aer Lingus has also retained several connections to its earlier aircraft designs. Its 1960s-inspired retro livery, introduced in 2011 to celebrate the airline’s 75th anniversary, featured a darker green-and-white appearance that contrasted with the newer scheme.
More than seven years after its introduction, the 2019 design remains the standard appearance of Aer Lingus aircraft. The colors and placement of the branding have changed, but the shamrock continues to link the carrier’s modern fleet with its earlier history.
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