First A320neo for Air India in new livery rolls out of paint shop

Air India revealed its new brand identity in August 2023. The airline also started inducting A320neo aircraft from a lease order it had signed on for post-privatisation in October 2023. However, the airline continued to induct the A320neos in the old livery of the airline. The first aircraft to sport the new livery was supposed to be the A350-900, which joined the fleet in December 2023.

Air India to get A320neo in new paint scheme

Air India has so far inducted 18 A320neos in the old paint scheme. All of them can be identified with the tail sign being VT-RT*. However, the airline has finally started painting aircraft in the new paint scheme. At the Airbus facility in Toulouse, an A320neo aircraft, configured in all economy configuration, was spotted yesterday exiting the paint shop by various planespotters. In a non-surprise, the tail sign of this aircraft will be VT-RTN, in an indirect tribute to the Tata Group Chairman Emeritus, Ratan Tata.

a white airplane with red writing on it

Image Courtesy @cliper31 on X

a white and red airplane on a runway

Image Courtesy DN280 on X

You will notice that the new livery also has the black eyemask features that we regularly get to see on the A350 aircraft. Air India has opted for the mask as a part of the paint job. Ironically, the yet-to-take-off Jet Airways would have been the first to put the “mask” on their sole A320neo which they had gotten ready for the takeoff under the new ownership and management.

a jet airplane on the runway

Here on, we should expect more A320neos to pop up in the new Air India livery going forward.

Bottomline

Air India’s A320neo aircraft to be allocated tail sign VT-RTN will become the first narrowbody aircraft to receive the new Air India livery. The aircraft should be delivered to the airline in May/June 2024. It has been spotted at Toulouse with the new livery, but engines are still to be hung.

What do you think of the new Air India livery on the A320neo?


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About Ajay

Ajay Awtaney is the Founder and Editor of Live From A Lounge (LFAL), a pioneering digital platform renowned for publishing news and views about aviation, hotels, passenger experience, loyalty programs, travel trends and frequent travel tips for the Global Indian. He is considered the Indian authority on business travel, luxury travel, frequent flyer miles, loyalty credit cards and travel for Indians around the globe. Ajay is a frequent contributor and commentator on the media as well, including ET Now, BBC, CNBC TV18, NDTV, Conde Nast Traveller and many other outlets.

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Comments

  1. It’s pretty uninteresting tbh, they should have just rebranded as vistara that would have been better than this

  2. I’m pretty sure the eye mask is a standard option on A320/321NEOS/XLRs.

    There is some actual function ion and benefit, and it’s not purely for aesthetic reasons.

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