How Has Hawaiian Airlines' Livery Evolved Over The Years?

Summary Hawaiian Airlines began with a staid red and white color scheme that aligned with commercial aircraft of the day. The creation of the 'Pualani' design in 1973 was a significant change to the livery, which has continued for over 50 years. The latest livery was unveiled in 2017 to coincide with the delivery of the new Airbus A321neo fleet, and now adorns the new Boeing 787 fleet.

Since its founding 95 years ago, Hawaiian Airlines has grown from a small inter-island taxi service to an intercontinental airline. Over that time, its brand has evolved, and its livery has become one of the most eye-catching on any commercial aircraft. So let's look back at how the Hawaiian Airlines livery has evolved over the years.

The early years Hawaiian Airlines was founded in 1929 as Inter-Island Airways and started scheduled service with a fleet of two 8-seater Sikorsky S-38 aircraft, later complemented by amphibious 16-passenger Sikorsky S‐43s. Over the next few years, it added Douglas DC-3s to the fleet, and after the war, it acquired Convair 340s and the longer-range Douglas DC-6s for connections to the mainland. During this time, the livery was predictably staid, switching between bare metal and white-painted fuselage variations, always with red and white striped tails and traditional red cheat lines along the fuselage.

With the introduction of Douglas DC-9 jets to the fleet in 1966, the airline made some changes, including a more solid red cheat line and tail and a new logo calle.