Luxair has commemorated its 60-year anniversary by painting a Boeing 737 with an eye-catching livery designed by a local artist. The airline teamed up with Luxembourg artist Marco Weiten on the new design featuring the Luxembourgish 'Roude Léiw' symbol.

Luxair unveils 60th-anniversary livery

Luxembourg's flag carrier Luxair has shown off its colorful anniversary livery to celebrate 60 years of flying. The airline has decorated one of its Boeing 737-800s with the new livery, which features a striking array of colors and Luxembourg's Roude Léiw (Red Lion) ensign.

Livrée 60 ans ©Luxair 1
Photo: Luxair

Gilles Feith, Luxair CEO, said,

"On this livery, the strongest symbol of Luxembourg (Roude Léiw) turns into a phoenix, perfectly symbolizing Luxair's hoped-for path for the future."

Along with the vibrant special livery, Luxair's 737 will feature anniversary-themed headrest covers in the cabin.

Since launching operations in March 1962, Luxair has remained a relatively small airline given its status as the flag carrier of a nation with a population of just over 630,000 people.

Competition between local artists

The new livery came about as part of a competition launched by Luxair in February, inviting local artists to submit their anniversary livery designs. After receiving more than 60 submissions, Luxair narrowed it down to a shortlist of 11 designs by April.

A month later, a panel of professional artists, art experts, and Luxair heads selected Marco Weiten as the winner.

Marco Weiten said,

"Sixty years of Luxair, flight, history, power, energy and skill, serenity and the desire to give the best. Let's celebrate 60 years together with this lively design. Luxair's colors symbolically run through the different decades and unite in a strong Luxembourg symbol, the red lion. It represents a Luxembourg tradition, but here it rises from its ashes like a phoenix and all the colors converge in it, the dawn of a fantastic future. All together we are a positive sign of respect, competence, teaching and practice. At 60 years, Luxair is just beginning to fly... the future is now."

Livrée 60 ans ©Luxair 4
Artist Marco Weiten impressed the panel with his design. Photo: Luxair

According to the airline, Weiten's design "symbolizes the rebirth and promising future of Luxair."

CEO Feith added,

"This year is placed under the sign of the 60th anniversary of the first Luxair flight and I am delighted to be able to celebrate it with such a work signed by Marco. His realistic and colorful art convinced us and I am confident that it will be the same for all the people who will see this plane, in Luxembourg but also through all the other destinations to which it will fly."

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Luxair Boeing 737-800 - LX-LGV

The aircraft adorned with the anniversary livery is one of Luxair's Boeing 737-800s (registration LX-LGV). This eight-year-old Boeing 737 was delivered to Luxair in 2014 and has served exclusively under the European airline.

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LX-LGV pictured before its transformation. Photo: Anna Zvereva via Wikimedia Commons

The plane has already conducted its first flight in its new colors after flying from Luxembourg to Tenerife on June 29th. The jet has since flown to several destinations, including Mallorca, Rome, Porto and Almeria.

Luxair's Boeing 737-800s can accommodate 186 passengers in a single-class configuration. The airline has eight Boeing 737s - four 737-700s and four 737-800s - along with a fleet of 11 De Havilland Dash 8-400s which operate one of the world's longest non-stop turboprop routes from Luxembourg to Bucharest.

Have you spotted Luxair's new livery on your travels? What do you think of the design? Let us know in the comments.