An airline's livery can be one of its most effective marketing tools when established and done correctly. A memorable and meaningful paint scheme on the side of an aircraft not only portrays the airline's identity but also helps to motivate wider brand recognition that fuel's the airline's growth. Singapore Airlines is a great example.

Although the flag carrier is widely known for its modernized fleet, extensive network, and world-class hospitality, it's also well-known and easily recognized for its simple yet alluring livery that allows passengers to identify the airline immediately. Interestingly, Singapore Airlines experienced quite the journey before arriving at the iconic livery we know today.

The Malaysia-Singapore Airlines livery

Before Singapore Airlines became the flag carrier it is today, the airline was previously founded as Malayan Airways in 1947, often serving charter flights from Singapore's old Kallang Airport to Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, and Penang. Back then, aircraft liveries weren't as significant as today, so it's no surprise that only the airline's name and country flag would be visible without any color or design scheme.

A few decades later, in 1963, political reasons would see Malayan Airways be renamed Malaysian Airways. However, the new name would only last for about three years before other political issues would see the airline be renamed again to Malaysia-Singapore Airlines in 1966, paving the way for another livery change.

Photo: NSBReynolds via Wikimedia Commons

In contrast to the original Malayan Airways livery, the Malaysia-Singapore Airlines livery featured a yellow airline logo on the vertical stabilizer. Aircraft noses would be painted black, with a white, grey, and yellow fuselage that housed the airline's name alongside the Malaysian and Singaporean flags.

The old Singapore Airlines livery

The formation of Malaysia-Singapore Airlines would only last till 1972 due to political indifference, and Singapore Airlines became an independent carrier in January of that year. With the airline branching in an era when the global aviation industry was steadily gaining traction, a new logo and livery were essential in building its brand and reputation.

Conceptualized by San Francisco design firm Landon Associates in 1972, the Singapore Airlines logo would be a bird inspired by the kris, or what's known in mythical folklore as the blade of glory. This distinctively asymmetrical, wavy blade is often regarded as a spiritual insignia of heroism and invulnerability and is indigenous to Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, The Philippines, and Singapore.

Photo: Stefan Martin via Wikimedia Commons

Painted in gold, the bird would eventually become the hallmark of all Singapore Airlines aircraft and products, and is accompanied by a midnight blue color scheme on the tail. For the fuselage, the aircraft is predominantly white and features a blue and yellow strip across the windows, with the airline's name stylized in italics.

The current Singapore Airlines livery

The original Singapore Airlines livery would last about 15 years till 1987, although the changes between the original and current airline livery are minor. For Singapore Airlines' current livery, the gold and midnight blue for the aircraft tail remains, but the previous yellow color was changed to metallic gold for the fuselage.

Photo: Raimund Stehmann via Wikimedia Commons

A new orange line was added above the metallic gold color and was also added to the back of the bird logo. Concerning the airline's name on the fuselage, the font typeface was modified and no longer italicized. But given how much bigger aircraft sizes have grown through the years, the placement and size of the word Singapore Airlines became slightly awkward.

This is why decades later, in 2005, the livery underwent another and last minor change where the airline's name and logo were enlarged. With the enlarged wording, Singapore Airlines now fits nicely on the livery that we see flying in the skies today.

Photo: aiyoshi597 | Shutterstock

Bottom line

Compared to most airlines worldwide, Singapore Airlines' livery evolution interestingly does not have as many design changes through the different stages, and the color scheme since becoming an independent carrier has also remained relatively the same. Since the last update in the early 2000s, the current livery has lived on for nearly two decades. And while there doesn't seem to be a need for another tweak, it'd be interesting to see if the airline will change anything in the future.

What do you think of Singapore Airlines' livery? Let us know in the comments below.