First look: Etihad shows off new paint scheme on its A380

Etihad Airways unveiled a new paint scheme for its aircraft today, showing off the design for the first time at an Airbus production facility near Hamburg, Germany.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline showed off the livery – which it dubs "Facets of Abu Dhabi" – on the first Airbus A380 superjumbo jet to join its fleet.

"Only a few months ago Etihad Airways unveiled the new cabin interiors for our A380 aircraft and we are now proud to show the world how this aircraft will look on the outside," Etihad CEO James Hogan says in a statement detailing the new paint scheme. "The striking new livery also continues our commitment to breaking from convention and doing things differently. This is a real divergence from the norms of traditional airline livery design and will stand out in the sky and at every airport we fly to."

Etihad is also set to unveil its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner this Saturday (Sept. 27) at Boeing's production line in Everett, Wash. That aircraft also will debut with Etihad's new paint scheme.

Etihad says its new "Facets of Abu Dhabi" paint scheme "uses a color palette which reflects the varying hues of the landscape of the UAE (United Arab Emirates)." Additionally, Etihad says, the new look gives the national emblem of the UAE "prominence along the fuselage next to the Etihad name and the national flag is respectfully featured forward near the cockpit."

Etihad says all of its new aircraft will arrive in the new paint scheme. Existing aircraft will be repainted, with all of Etihad's fleet of more than 100 aircraft expected to have the new look within three years.

Although unrelated, Etihad's redesign comes after three U.S. carriers have unveiled their own new liveries during the past three weeks.

Southwest was first, unveiling its new "Heart" logo and paint scheme on Sept. 8. The look is Southwest's first change to its aircraft since 2001, when it adopted the Canyon Blue scheme that the Heart livery will replace.

Frontier followed with its own new look a day later, rolling out a different paint scheme for its planes on Sept. 9. Like Southwest, Frontier's new livery was more update than an overhaul, with the airline opting to keep its signature animals on the tails of its aircraft. But the airline also moved to add touches that pay homage to a previous version of Frontier Airlines that launched in 1950 and ceased flying in 1986.

And then on Sept. 15, Spirit Airlines became the third U.S. carrier to unveil a new image. Unlike both Southwest and Frontier, Spirit's new look was both a well-kept secret and a dramatic change. Spirit went with a bright yellow and black paint scheme, replacing its current look that features a mostly white fuselage with blue lettering and a multi-colored tail logo.