Condor's New Livery Sparks Debate - Aviation for Aviators

Recently, German airline Condor revealed a new livery design that caused quite an uproar on social media. The new livery, featuring colorful stripes covering the aircraft, is part of Condor’s effort to rebrand themselves after the collapse of Thomas Cook airlines in 2019.

Why They Rebranded?

Condor’s decision to suddenly change their brand might come as a shock to many people. The process is part of Condor’s plan to reinvent themselves after the collapse of Thomas Cook airlines in 2019. Condor was an acquired subsidiary of the Thomas Cook travel agency, and subsequently, Condor used very similar liveries to Thomas Cook airlines. With the introduction of these new striped liveries, Condor is essentially trying to move away from its past with Thomas Cook. Condor’s reinvention process doesn’t end there, though. The airline is also implementing the striped design onto several other aspects of its brand, such as crew uniforms and inflight accessories.

Inspiration For The New Livery

Condor’s new livery design is based on the concept of vacation. The new livery takes inspiration from umbrellas, beach towels, ice cream shops, and other striped objects to reflect the idea of vacation. On Condor’s website, they believe that stripes “stand for easiness, freedom to experience the world.” Condor also hopes to be unique and recognizable with striped liveries.

Additionally, each color of the different striped liveries represents something related to vacation:

Green – Island
Yellow – Sunshine
Blue – Sea
Red – Passion
Beige – Beach

Dislike on Social Media

Unlike the airline’s optimistic attitude on rebranding, people on social media have had opposing opinions about the new livery. Since revealing their striped liveries, Condor has received widespread criticism and hundreds of comments about the design choice on social media. Condor’s decision to veer away from a conventional airline livery design has certainly caused unrest, but the airline does not seem likely to adjust their livery after the response from the public.

With the stripes already having been painted on a few aircraft, it seems like Condor’s new liveries are here to stay. Even with all the controversy about the livery, one thing is for certain: these striped aircraft will definitely stand out from other planes at airports.

Sources

https://www.condor.com/us/fly-with-us/condor-partner/our-new-look.jsp
https://www.designboom.com/design/condor-new-aircraft-livery-beach-towel-stripes-04-05-2022/
https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/condor-unveils-bold-new-livery/
https://simpleflying.com/condor-colorful-new-livery/
Cover Image: Thomas Philibert