Low cost carrier AirAsia has given the world a sneak peek of an eye-catching livery for its new A321neo. The Malaysian airline is due to receive its first of the largest A320 family aircraft in the coming weeks.AirAsia revealed the order for the A321neo at the Paris Air Show this year. The airline announced a conversion of 253 A320neos to the larger A321neos, to make AirAsia the largest customer in the world for this type.

The new look A321neo

In a post to the airline’s official Twitter feed, AirAsia gave us a sneak peek at their color scheme for the forthcoming A321neo. While most of us would have assumed it would take on the iconic red livery of AirAsia’s fleet, it seems they’re going for something a bit different with this aircraft.

Liveries like this, while not unheard of, are a rarity in the world of aviation. Indeed, there are some good reasons why aircraft, as a rule, are mostly painted white. However, AirAsia are not afraid to stand out from the crowd.

In fact, many low cost carriers are known for more colorful liveries. easyJet aircraft are easy to spot in their bright orange coats, and WOW air’s purple planes will be missed on aprons around the world. For a LCC, branding is crucial, and AirAsia will certainly be recognizable with this plane.

You can see the livery taking shape in the video below, shared by AirAsia on Twitter.

Why the A321neo?

The upscaling of the order back in June at the Paris Air Show was a major boon for Airbus. While none of them were fresh orders, all being converted from existing A320 orders, it was the biggest order for the larger variant of the narrowbody to date, and a massive vote of confidence for the type.

The A321neo is the longest variant of the popular A320 family of aircraft. With the neo improvements on board, which include new generation engines and fuel saving Sharklets, it’s 20% more efficient than its predecessor.

A321neo in paint shop from behind
The A321neo will be the 'backbone' of the AirAsia fleet. Photo: AirAsia/Twitter

Clearly, a bigger aircraft that is cheaper to fly will make it possible for AirAsia to sell seats at the lowest possible price. The airline confirmed this in the post, when it said that,

“The A321neo will be the new backbone of our operations as we continue to make flying affordable for everyone.”

With 253 on order, AirAsia is clearly banking on the A321neo being a massive success. We can’t wait to see this colorful plane arriving at airports all over the world!