Livery of the Week: Frontier Airlines

The animal designs are typically rather large and colorful, making Frontier’s fleet easily recognizable among travelers and aviation enthusiasts.

Frontier A320neo
A Frontier Airbus A320neo in Las Vegas. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Frontier Airlines is known for its distinctive animal-themed liveries, introduced in the mid-1990s, with each aircraft featuring a unique, colorful animal design on its tail.
  • This unique livery strategy has been instrumental in establishing Frontier's strong brand presence and making its fleet easily recognizable to the public.
  • Beyond aesthetics, the animal designs are a key component of the airline's marketing, advertising, and social media initiatives, remaining a consistent brand hallmark despite livery updates.
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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. 

Have an idea for a livery that we should highlight? Drop us a line

Frontier Airlines’ distinctive livery, featuring animal designs on the tails of its aircraft, has become a hallmark of the carrier’s brand identity. Introduced in the mid-1990s, this unique approach to aircraft painting has captured the attention of aviation enthusiasts and the general public alike.

Each aircraft showcases a different animal, often representing a specific region or species. The animal designs are typically large and colorful, making Frontier’s fleet easily recognizable.

This livery strategy has helped the airline establish a strong brand presence.

A Frontier Airbus A321neo (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the animal-themed livery has also played a significant role in the airline’s marketing efforts. The airline has incorporated the animal designs into advertising campaigns, merchandise, and social media initiatives.

Even as the carrier has updated its livery a few times over the last several years, the hallmark animal-themed tails have remained. The airline debuted its last paint scheme in 2014.

Looking for a new airplane model? Head over to our friends at the Midwest Model Store for a wide selection of airlines and liveries.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
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